The Earliest Election Returns

In a little oíd book in the County Clerk's office, no larger than books now kept for memorandum in small business, are found the earliest election returns of the county. The llrst entry in the book is as follows: CERTIFÍCATE OF ELECÏION. Teiiritoby of Michigan, i Washtesaw County. ( Clerks office at Aun Arbour líeceived for record this 12th day of July 1L27 at 5 oclock p. m. David E. Lokd C. Clerk. At a meeting of the board of canvassers at the Clerks office in the County of Washtenaw on the 12th day of July 1827 for the purpose of making an estímate of the whole number of votes given in the several townships in said county for a delégate to Congress. The following persons being properly authorised from their respective townships appeared and cónstituted said board, viz. Henry Rumsey from the Township of Ann Arbour, Asa II. Reading from the Township of Ypsilauti and George W. Peters from the Township of Dexter. Henry Rumsey was appöinted Chairmau and David E. Lord C. C. Sect. and after being organised proceed to canvass and the resultisiis follows A. E. John GaV Wieg. Biddle. Richards In the Townsiiip of Ann Arbour Austtn E. Wing had sixtyeight votes :.. 68 John Biddle had fortyfour do U Gabriel Richards had seven... 7 In the township of Ypsilanti John Biddle had flfty-four votes. ö4 Austin E. Wing had forty-one do 41 Gabriel Richard had eight do 8 In thetownshipof Dexterjohn Biddle had twenty-fivo votes 25 109 123 15 We do hereby certify that the above is a true return of the Election for Delégate to Congress of the United States from the several Townships in tfer üötaity of Washtenaw held on Monday the 9th day of July 1827. Ann Arbour July 12th 1827. David E. Lord Henry Rumsey Sect. Ch'm. Three things will be especially noted. Ann Arbor is spelled Ann Arbour. This spelling in the records continúes down to 1833. There were only three towns in the county. In 1829 four towns were shown in the county, the fourth town being the township of Panama. The third interesting fact is the small number of votes cast in the county, 247 in al!. In November of the same year the vote had increased to 277 and in 1829 it had increased to 444.