Description
This poster says “Raise Your Voice, Vote!, Tuesday, November 3, Operation Big Vote, for Election Day Assistance, Call: 763-1986 or 763-1567.” It has red, white, and black lettering on white paper. Handwritten on the back in black ink are the words “Distributed in 2nd Precinct, Week of Oct 19-23, 1992 delivered to 606 Church Street, HSW.” The poster measures 10 and 15⁄16 by 8 and 9⁄16 10.9375 x 8 .5625 inches.
History
This poster was given to Cape Fear Museum by then-employee Harry Warren. Operation Big Vote was designed to encourage African American participation in the 1992 elections. On November 3, 1992, Americans chose between incumbent President George H. W. Bush, Arkansas Governor William J. Clinton, and Independent candidate Ross Perot. Clinton beat Bush, making him the first Democratic President since Jimmy Carter. On the same day, North Carolina elected Democrat Jim Hunt governor and sent Republican Lauch Faircloth to the U.S. Senate.
Elections have changed a lot over the years. Initially, the U.S Constitution set the presidential term at four years, and the top two candidates on the ballot became President and Vice President respectively. We quickly began separately electing the vice president, but it wasn’t until 1845, that the whole country decided upon who should be the president on the same day. In that year, Congress legislated that all American voters should go to the polls and vote for president on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Since that time, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, Americans have chosen who will be Commander in Chief.