[4CJ]

Prior to the requirement for a ballot, most states had "voice" votes recorded in person. As you noted, later each political party would distribute ballots - most in a distinct color/size to better identify at a glance their "faithful". In the South, there were few if any "ballots" distributed for Lincoln's party - his party was a truly sectional with it's Whig tendicies/tariffs/internal improvement platform. As you yourself have observed, there were numerous "union" supporters in the South, and abolitionists as well. Given that he did have his supporters in the South, it stands to reason that if he received no votes, it was either no "ballots" with his name were available, or that the financial platform he espoused would be harmful to the Southern states.

[Grand Old Partisan]

Thanks! You are actually agreeing with me. My point was that the unpopularity of the Republican Party in the South until the 1960s was not because of Reconstruction, but because it never had any support in the South even prior to the Civil War, as evinced by the Republican ticket getting ZERO votes in ten of the eleven states which would secede.