Special Election Certification by California Secretary of State Frank C. Jordan

Item

Title: Special Election Certification by California Secretary of State Frank C. Jordan
Description: This official certification, issued by California Secretary of State Frank C. Jordan, records the results of the October 10, 1911 special election and formally certifies the constitutional amendments approved by California voters. Among the measures adopted was Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 8 (Proposition 4), which amended the California Constitution to grant women the right to vote, as well as several other Progressive Era reforms approved during the same election, including measures expanding direct democracy and government reform.

Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 8 passed by a margin of just 3,587 votes, with a final count of 125,037 to 121,450. Its passage made California the sixth state in the nation to enfranchise women, nearly nine years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Following the amendment’s adoption, Governor Johnson called a special legislative session in November 1911 to revise state election laws and fully implement women’s newly won voting rights.
Contributor: California Secretary of State
Creator: Frank C. Jordan
Date: October 10, 1911
Format: PDF
Language: English
Rights: Public Domain. No restrictions on use. For access to a higher resolution version of this file, or for permission to reproduce or publish, please contact California State Archives staff via email at reference@sos.ca.gov or call the Reference Desk at (916) 653-2246. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives' collections.
Source: Secretary of State Records, R206, California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Type: Text
Original Format: Election return

Media: Special Election Certification by California Secretary of State Frank C. Jordan