Date
3-2025
Department
History
Abstract
Following the Michigan state amendment of 1918, which granted women the right to vote, the women of Marquette County began registering. This paper looks into the Ishpeming women’s voting records from 1919 and 1920, as well as news paper articles that document early voting registration turnouts in Marquette and Negaunee. The research focused on the patterns of registration in the context of amendments, elections, and political movements at the local, state, and national levels. While there has been extensive research and analysis of early women voters across the United States, no previous studies have analyzed the Ishpeming voting records. Women across the Upper Peninsula began registering to vote in February of 1919. In Ishpeming, 1,581 women registered in the first month, the vast majority of them prior to February 15, as it was the original cutoff date for the upcoming election in April. In March, registrations dropped to 285, and in April, only 22 women registered. February saw the highest month of registrations recorded. Another surge occurred in the spring of 1920, with 68 registrations in March and 8 in April. The summer of 1920 brought another resurgence, likely motivated by the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the upcoming national election. In July, 16 women registered, and 191 women registered in August.
Recommended Citation
McCollor, Lauren E., "Women’s Voting Registrations in Marquette County" (2025). HS 390 Primary Research Papers. 6.
https://commons.nmu.edu/hs_390_primary_research_papers/6
Included in
History of Gender Commons, Political History Commons, United States History Commons, Women's History Commons