http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/voting/
Jones Talk, Slide 1

The County Election

Painting by George Caleb Bingham

• Painted 1851-52.
• Scene from the election of 1846 in Saline County, Missouri.
• The artist won a seat in the statehouse in this election by 4 votes!
  
  -- This was an oral vote.
  -- There was no system of voter registration.
  -- There was no prohibition against campaigning in the polling place.