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Guest Column

Elections once had a personal touch

By DOUG JOHNSTON
Published November 18, 2006

During the 1950s, my grandfather, Ernest C. Johnston, was supervisor of elections for Citrus County. He allowed me to hang around the courthouse in Inverness with him on election night. The courthouse was the focal point of election night, much like television sets are today.

Citrus County was composed of 16 or 18 precincts in those days. The political rallies that were held in most communities throughout the county were well attended, and most were held outdoors in the evening.

I tagged along with Granddaddy to each rally. My favorite was the one held on the school grounds in Hernando because Baker Miley would almost always be the master of ceremonies. He was funny and really livened things up while poking fun at local politicians. "Politicking" in those days was often door to door. Television ads were few on the national and state levels and nonexistent on the local levels.

E. Van Anderson, "Cowboy" Williams, Hugh Barco and my grandfather were among the local elected officials at that time. Nick Conner and "Baldy" Strickland were our senator and congressman (each county had its own senator before the U.S. Supreme Court ordered redistricting on a one-man, one-vote basis for both houses.)

Frank Schofield was the county judge during this time, and B.R. Quinn had taken the sheriff's position after a long tenure from Charles Dean Sr. Most of these men were colorful characters and are etched into my memory forever.

Soon after the polls closed on Election Day, a poll worker from each precinct would bring the ballots to the courthouse in a locked box. My grandfather would meet them at the courthouse steps and a deputy sheriff (there were only four or five deputies in Citrus County in those days) would accompany him to the basement of the courthouse to deliver the ballots to a committee that counted the votes. I recall Judge E.C. May's daughter, Frankie Dickenson, was on that board.

With the majority of households without television sets, the results of the election were not broadcast in the manner they are today. A speaker, usually Baker Miley or "Cowboy" Williams, would address a sizable crowd of citizens who had gathered on the east side of the courthouse across the street from the old Valerie Theater. He would announce results from each precinct as they were counted and then announce the cumulative county results.

Miley and Williams were engaging speakers and their sense of humor kept the crowd in good spirits throughout the night, regardless of the weather or how badly the returns were suiting some of the crowd.

The courthouse lawn would be filled with people from all over the county waiting for the election results. It was a time when old friends from different sections of the county would see each other and socialize. It was a reunion of sorts, and the old-timers looked forward to the gathering.

Those who traveled those dark, bumpy roads from places like New Hope, Red Level or Citronelle would usually stay late to get the final results. They would take the news home to let their neighbors know the election results the next day.

I was one of only a few youngsters at the election night gathering. There would be school the following day, so most of the people attending, especially those from the far reaches of the county, didn't bring children.

Today's election results are announced much more quickly, thanks to modern technology. But I sometimes wonder if we would all be better off gathering on the courthouse lawn with old friends waiting to hear who has earned the right to represent us.

Doug Johnston of Dunnellon is a lifelong Citrus County resident and occasional contributor to the Citrus Times.

[Last modified November 18, 2006, 08:35:30]