Tumwater's Mass Meeting Cast 65 Votes With Only 50 Voters in the Room
A local nominating meeting for council seats turned harmonious—and hilarious—when the ballots outnumbered the attendees.
The political movement is on in Tumwater, in view of the local election. Councilmanic honors will be open to those aspirants, and if the coming election is to be judged by the mass-meeting, it will be decidedly interesting. The mass-meeting was held on Monday evening last and was called to order by George Gelbach. E. McNeil was chosen chairman, and M. Chase secretary. Competition was brisk, but on the third ballot L. Churchill was nominated, M. Chase on the fifth, and Mr. Whitemarsh on the sixth. The meeting was quite harmonious, not to say hilarious; and perhaps it may be taken as a striking illustration of what a truthful representation of the will of the great American people, the primary caucus usually is, for there were only about 50 voters present and 65 votes cast. There is no opposition ticket as yet in the field.
“There were only about 50 voters present and 65 votes cast.”
Tumwater's 1891 caucus joke about more votes than voters still lands in an era of election audits and turnout math. The little local meeting shows how long Washington has argued over who gets to nominate and whether the count can be trusted.
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