Indeed, ballots were yet privately printed in some areas and states as late as the early 20th century.   I have an Ohio ballot/ticket from 1896 that was printed by and is a full newspaper page in size, whereon you could vote for McKinley or McKinley or McKinley or McKinley or McKinley, depending upon your inclinations.  Incidentally, there were two columns listing the selections chosen by the GAR, complete with depictions of Union soldiers at the tops of those columns, lest any veterans not be clear as to their selection.   Oh yes, those also had McKinley at the top of the nominees, of course.  Paul  

----- Original Message ----- 
  ....
  Nobody was on "The Ballot" in 1860. Back then, the state did not print
  ballots for voters to go into the polls and mark up.

  Voters obtained ballots, called tickets, from the political parties and
  dropped them into the ballot box. Each party printed a ballot with the
  list of its presidential electors, and often times the ballots were
  printed in variant forms in different parts of the state.

  ....

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