William Pennington (May 4, 1796 - February 16, 1862) served as Governor of New Jersey from 1837 to 1843 as a member of the Whig Party. It was his certification of the victory of the Whig candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives by affixing the “broad seal” of the State. Even though the validity of their victory was doubtful due to irregularities in the voting in two districts, it ignited the Broad Seal War and cost New Jersey of 5/6th of its deserved representation in the House.

Broadside for a Democratic talk and parade in Hightstown, NJ, October 30, 1860.

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For centuries, crises—whether human-made or natural—have shaped U.S. elections. How Americans react to these events has varied. In wartime, opposing parties have fought over election delays, the absentee voting rights of soldiers, and other perceived advantages intended to propel their candidates to victory. Amid hurricanes and other weather-related disasters, Americans have voted in temporary tents or been designated as “overseas voters” so that they could send absentee ballots. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, disrupted primary day in New York, prompting officials to reschedule the election.

Although disasters typically dampen voter turnout, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has had a mixed effect. Some states postponed primary elections initially scheduled for the spring and early summer in response to the crisis, but for the 2020 presidential election Americans turned out in record numbers to vote by mail or in early in-person lines. These options were offered by some state election officials in response to the pandemic to make voting safer and ease turnout.

The artifacts in this section illustrate some of the methods used by election officials to navigate such crises and the tenacity of voters to make their voices heard.