Voting proxy tickets

A proxy was a ticket (usually printed but sometimes manuscript) listing candidates for office and presented to the people for their vote. Until the advent of the Australian Ballot System in 1889 proxes were issued by political parties; after 1889 the Secretary of State was responsible for the printing and distribution of all statewide election ballots.


The Anti-Masonic Party (also known as the Anti-Masonic Movement) was the first "third party" in the United States. It strongly opposed Freemasonry and was founded as a single-issue party aspiring to become a major party. Although lasting only a decade, it introduced important innovations to American politics, such as nominating conventions and the adoption of party platforms.


From 1664 the Rhode Island proxy voting system was simply the sending of written ballots from voters who did not attend the election, rather than a true proxy system.