California Voting Records: Difference between revisions

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[[California|California]] voter registration records can help you locate most male citizens between the years of the federal censuses. The first voter registration records were county poll lists. Although poll lists were required by law after 1850, the earliest records are incomplete.  
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| link2=[[United States Voting Records|U.S. Voting Records]]
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| link5=[[California Voting Records|Voting Records]]}}
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==Online Resources==
*'''1866-1898''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2221/ California, Voter Registers, 1866-1898] at Ancestry - index & images ($)
*'''1866-1910''' [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30285/california-great-registers-1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910] at MyHeritage - index ($)
*'''1900-1968''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61066/ California, Voter Registrations, 1900-1968] at Ancestry - index & images ($)


In 1866, poll lists were replaced by voter registers known as the Great Registers. Each voter was required to register with the county clerk, giving his full name, age, state or country of birth, occupation, and address. If naturalized, he was to declare the name of the court and the date when the naturalization took place. An 1872 law required all counties to print an alphabetical list of voters every two years. Since 1895, data on voters has been more detailed.  
==Voting Rights History==
 
*'''By 1856''': Universal white male suffrage<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Timeline of voting rights in the United States," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_voting_rights_in_the_United_States, accessed 2 February 2020.</ref>
All but a few of the Great Registers are available at the California Section of the California State Library in Sacramento. Duplicate copies are at the Bancroft Library at the University of California in Berkeley, and also in county courthouses. Most are on microfilm at the Family History Library. For example, for San Francisco the library has 190 films that include the:  
*'''1870''': The 15th Amendment is passed and prohibits restricting suffrage based on race<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Black suffrage," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_suffrage#United_States, accessed 2 February 2020.</ref>
 
*'''1911''': Women are given the right to vote<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Women's suffrage in the United States," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage_in_the_United_States, accessed 2 February 2020.</ref>
*Great Registers, 1866-1898
==What Can be Found in the Records==
*Indexes, 1866, 1888-1904
For more information about how Voting Records can help your genealogical research see [[United States Voting Records|United States Voting Records]].<br>
*Index of naturalized voters, 1850-1898
'''Voting records often contain''':
 
*Name
===External Links===
*Birth place
* http://feefhs.org/FBVCA/indexfbv.html
*Residence
* http://www.rootsweb.com/~cascgs/gr_intro.htm
*Years living in city, county, state
* http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/SierraMadre1896.htm
*Whether naturalized, date, court <br>
* http://www.cagenweb.com/re/fresno/FresnoGreatR1880.htm
==How to Find Voting Records==
* http://www.islandregister.com/calislander.html
Most voter records were kept on the county level (for New England states this should be town level). To see what FamilySearch has for your county (town) of research follow these steps:
 
*Go to the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] and in the place field type in California
[[Category:California|Voting]]
*Go to United States, California
*Once there, click on "Places within United States, California"
*Select the county that contains your town of interest
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:California, United States]] [[Category:Voting Records]]

Latest revision as of 14:02, 10 June 2024

California Wiki Topics
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Beginning Research
Record Types
California Background
Cultural Groups
Local Research Resources

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

Voting Rights History[edit | edit source]

  • By 1856: Universal white male suffrage[1]
  • 1870: The 15th Amendment is passed and prohibits restricting suffrage based on race[2]
  • 1911: Women are given the right to vote[3]

What Can be Found in the Records[edit | edit source]

For more information about how Voting Records can help your genealogical research see United States Voting Records.
Voting records often contain:

  • Name
  • Birth place
  • Residence
  • Years living in city, county, state
  • Whether naturalized, date, court

How to Find Voting Records[edit | edit source]

Most voter records were kept on the county level (for New England states this should be town level). To see what FamilySearch has for your county (town) of research follow these steps:

  • Go to the FamilySearch Catalog and in the place field type in California
  • Go to United States, California
  • Once there, click on "Places within United States, California"
  • Select the county that contains your town of interest

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Timeline of voting rights in the United States," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_voting_rights_in_the_United_States, accessed 2 February 2020.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Black suffrage," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_suffrage#United_States, accessed 2 February 2020.
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Women's suffrage in the United States," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage_in_the_United_States, accessed 2 February 2020.

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