(CIVIL WAR CONNECTICUT) Address of the Union State Central

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(CIVIL WAR--CONNECTICUT.) Address of the Union State Central Committee upon the Constitutional Amendment Extending the Elective Franchise to Citizen Soldiers in the Field. Printed circular letter, 9 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches; minimal wear. Hartford, CT, 27 July 1864

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Three years into the Civil War, Connecticut soldiers in the field did not possess the right to vote. As the soldiers were generally expected to support Lincoln and the Republican Party, Democrats resisted efforts to extend the franchise. After a state constitutional amendment was passed by the General Assembly, the measure was put to a public vote on 15 August 1864. This circular letter, signed in type by chairman James G. Batterson and 16 committee members, exhorted voters to allow soldiers the vote. The measure passed and remains in the state constitution. The amendment remains controversial, as its language prohibits the early voting which is now permitted in many other states. A referendum to re-amend the constitution on this point was rejected by the voters in November 2014.