Here is an Oklahoma question.

(I know that at least two people who have lived here longer than I have read this blog on occasion).

At the AAUW meeting last night, we had a presentation by the local election board chair person. She handed out sample ballots (with the ever-confounding state questions on them). And the different races (President, Senate, U.S. Rep, state reps...).

The straight-party ticket...there are little animals next to each party. But not the animals you might expect. The Republicans have what looks like an eagle (it's pretty small) and the Democrats have what seems to be a rooster.

The question: (I actually answered my other one, the power of Google)

1. I don't remember little symbols on the ballots in the other states where I lived (Then again, in Ann Arbor, where I first voted, we had the big old lever-machines, and in Illinois, we had the annoying punch-cards). Why are they there? Decoration? A throwback to the days when some voters might not have been able to read?

2. Why a rooster for the Democrats? A donkey would make sense, seeing as it's sort of the party mascot, but is there some history to the rooster I don't know? (It's probably something very simple that a person who either had better American History classes or has been on this Earth longer than I have would know, but...)

Rooster is a traditional symbol, particularly in KY, IN, OH, and OK. The eagle was the opposing Republican symbol. Wikipedia says both are still found on ballots in IN, KY, and my state. (Well, considering this is the only "rooster and eagle state" I've ever been of a legal age to vote in, that's probably why I've not seen them before).

Interesting. I have to admit I find the history of the party system in the U.S. (with the Whigs, and the Old Democrats, and the Democrat-Republicans (or was that Republican-Democrats) interesting, but very hard for me to get my head around because it seems to change so much. And all during my life we've had pretty much just R and D, even if neither is quite as true to their roots as some might like.