Let’s not forget an important vote taken 100 years ago, in 1919, by the New Hampshire Legislature. On Sept. 9, Governor John H. Bartlett called a special session to vote on the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment would ensure that the rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. The Legislature passed it that day, and the governor signed it the next, making New Hampshire the 16th state of the necessary 36 to amend the U.S. Constitution.
With the necessary ratification of the amendment by the 36th state (Tennessee) in August 1920, women voted for the first time in a national election in November of that year.
The right to vote for women was a long fought campaign. Victory came after decades of struggle and protests. It was considered a privilege, but truly it is an obligation if one cherishes a voice in the nation’s democracy.
2020 will mark 100 years that women have had the right to vote in a national election, and I hope all women will exercise that right.
ELIZA LEADBEATER
Gilford