[3] The 19th Amendment was certified on August 26, 1920; the election for a local alderman on August 31, 1920, was the first election for office after Missouri, and all other states, were required to abide by a constitutional requirement that the right to vote "shall not be denied or abridged... by any State" because of gender.
A year earlier on June 4, 1919, the United States Congress passed the resolution and on August 18, 1920, it was ratified.
Called the Women's Suffrage Amendment, it reads: It is signed by Speaker of the House, Frederick H. Gillett and by Vice President, Thomas R.
[4] Only a few days after ratification of the amendment, the town of Hannibal, Missouri, held a special election to fill an open seat for alderman.
In the weeks leading to election day, Byrum had a friendly competition with Nita Harrison, regarding which of the two of them would cast the first vote in Hannibal.
Living some 15 blocks from the polling place, Marie and her husband began walking at 5:30 a.m. in a drizzling rain.
[8] She was the daughter of Joseph Matthaeus "Matt" Ruoff and Ana Katherine "Kate" Rein, who emigrated from Genkingen, Germany to Americ in the years 1889[9] and 1891,[10] respectively.