Fort Miller, originally established in 1851 in what is today Madera County, was abandoned at the start of the Civil War.

December 12, 2018 - SACRAMENTO – Using records from the battlefields of the Civil War to the halls of the State Capitol, California State Archives new exhibit—Soldiers’ Ballots: Voting by Mail during the Civil War—tells the story of the origins of voting by mail. 

Click here to view “Soldiers’ Ballots: Voting by Mail during the Civil War”

This exhibit is also the first digital State Archives exhibit to be translated into Spanish.
Click here to view "Papeletas Soldadas: Votación por correo durante la Guerra Civil"

“While a majority of Californians now cast their ballot by mail, the story of voting by mail is originally rooted in the Civil War,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “As Californians left to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War, another battle unfolded behind the scenes in the State Legislature to protect theses soldiers’ right to vote. The State Archives tells an important story of electoral innovation created to protect our soldiers’ right to vote. Today, voting by mail provides an opportunity for every American citizen to participate in our democracy, no matter where they are in the world.”

This is the State Archives’ fourteenth online exhibit to be hosted by Google Arts & Culture. Secretary Padilla has made digitizing the treasures of the State Archives a priority.

About Google Arts & Culture

Google Arts & Culture is a new, immersive way to experience art, history, culture and world wonders from over a thousand organizations worldwide. Google Arts & Culture has been created by the Google Cultural Institute and it is available for free for everyone on the web, on iOS and Android. Read more here.
Source: CA. SOS