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Machine, Voting

Object number2019.138.1

OriginJamestown, NY

MediumMetal; Paper; Ink

Credit LineGift of Paul Freund

DescriptionTraining voting machine. Rectangular metal robin's egg blue colored machine. Rectangular-shaped stand attached to either side, which slides back to make the machine stand up and an angle. Two black rubber feet on bottom edge, one on left side and one on right side. Three black rubber feet on back, two in the bottom section and one on top. DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 10.5 × 13.125 × 1.313 in. (26.7 × 33.3 × 3.3 cm)
Depth (Depth when standing): 8.25 in. (21 cm)
InscriptionsTop corner text reads: "DIRECTIONS for VOTING / 1st. Move the Red Handle to the Right / and leave it there. / 2nd. Turn the pointers -- / [depiction of how to move levers] / from this position to this position / over the names of the candidates for every / office. / 3rd. Turn a pointer over the 'Yes' or / 'No' of each question. / 4th. Leave the pointers down [depiction of a lever in the down position] / 5th. Move the Red Handle to the Left. / Form A- 6% RP".

Text in box on left-center side: "A PARTY / B PARTY / ES-1224-R".

Text across top in center, on left side: "Question 1 / Shall a new Court House / be constructed?". Text below left lever reads "YES", and text below right lever reads "NO". Text on right side: "Question 2 / Shall Peddling be allowed / in the public streets?" Text below left lever reads: "YES", and text below right lever reads: "NO".

Above the second line of levers: ["1 / GOVERNOR / (Vote for One)"] [" 2 / LIEUT. / GOVERNOR / (Vote for One)"] ["3/ SECRETARY / OF STATE / (Vote for One)"] ["4 / STATE / TREASURER / (Vote for One)"] [" 5 6 / REPRESENTATIVES IN / CONGRESS AT LARGE / (Vote for Two)"]

Text below second line of lever reads: ["1A / Charles A. / WATERS"] [ 2A / William D. / KINNEY"] ['3A / Arthur H. / JAMES"] ["4A / Robert C. / LINN"] [5A / Wilson G. / DAW"] ["6A / Edward A. / BALDWIN"].

Text below second row of levers: ["1B / Milton W. / SHREVE"] ["2B / James O. DAVIS"] [3B / William / DYKEMAN"] [ "4B / Peter A. / SARIG"] ["A.P. / BISSELL"] [ 6B / John F. / HURLEY"].

On back:

Black text in top left corner reads: "LWV / YWCA - 207". Text on white stickers reads: "League of Women Voters / of Great Pittsburgh / 425 Sixth Avenue Suite 1490 / Pittsburgh PA 15219-1819 / 412-261-4284"

MarksText in lower left corner reads: "AUTOMATIC / VOTING MACHINE / [INSTRUCTION / MODEL] [ MADE BY / AVM CORPORATION] / JAMESTOWN, N.Y.".
Historical NotesPart of a collection related to the mental health and disability rights advocacy work of Rachel Freund. She is credited with playing a large role in getting people with disabilities registered to vote in Allegheny County, increasing the cash supplements to low-income personal care home residents and organizing a vast network of disability voting rights activists. Rachel Freund used voting machines like this one to train people on how to vote and she trained grassroots leaders and created a network for people with disabilities. She dedicated her time to providing voting access to people within the mental health community, eventually expanding to people with disabilities. She generated her own funding through foundations, she had to find non-traditional (non-government) funding sources as this work was considered political. She began “Let Our Voices Be Heard” in 2003, this was a conscious raising effort at first for people in group homes and state institutions in order to have them register to vote and to educate them on the importance of voting and their power as a voting bloc to advocate for change.

Previous owner Rachel Freund (1959 - 2013)

Related person Charles A. Waters

Related person William D. Kinney

Related person Arthur Horace James (1883 - 1973)

Related person Robert C. Linn

Related person Wilson G. Daw

Related person Edward A. Baldwin

Related person Milton W. Shreve

Related person James O. Davis

Related person William Dykeman

Related person Peter A. Sarig

Related person A. R. Bissell