Ballot Battles: The History of Disputed Elections in the United States

Abstract

The process of counting voter ballots is crucial for the legitimacy of elections and ultimately of democracy. If voters cannot be assured that their votes are counted accurately, then they are likely to doubt the legitimacy of election outcomes. If there are disputes there must be faith that an objective and transparent process of recounting ballots will occur. This book provides a remarkable history of cases in which there were serious disputes about the counting and recounting process. Edward B. Foley has painstakingly reconstructed the sequence of decisions made in many disputed elections. He covers the entire history of the nation and includes cases involving federal, state, and local offices. He considers the historical context of cases, the actors and stakes involved, the partisan and personal motives of those involved, the role of the courts, and how the cases were eventually resolved. As he details, the United States has not always dealt with these cases well. There has been considerable resistance to establishing any tribunals to review and resolve disputes. There often has been egregious and blatant partisanship in handling disputes. For those who wish a sense of how serious these cases have been this book is invaluable. Further, the narratives of specific disputes are lively and engaging.