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There were no ballots, such as we know them, in use in the United States until the 1880s.

Ya think? I seem to remember color-coded ballots being used during the War of Northern Agression. I can't speak for other states, but the state of Georgia, on 4 Dec 1799 required ballots for all elections:

Supplementary to an act entitled, "An act to regulate the General Elections in this State, and to appoint the time of the meeting of the General Assembly;" passed the eleventh day of February one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine; and an act entitled, "An act for the appointment of County Officers," passed the sixteenth day of February one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine.
Section I. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Georgia in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That in future, all elections shall be by ballot ...
Acts Of The General Assembly Of The State Of Georgia: Passed At Louisville, In January And February, 1799, Augusta: Printed By John E. Smith, Printer To The State. MDCCC, Volume I, Sequential Number 040, pp. 7.

Thank you for your interesting reply. Ballot means piece of paper placed in a voting urn; it does not necessariy mean a government-printed form listing all candiadtes "on the ballot" from which voters check their preferences before placing it in the urn. Your point about the 1860 Republicans not "being on the ballot" is based on the faulty assumption that prior to the 1880s there were ballots to "get on". Each political party would indeed distribute its ballots, "party tickets", in a distinct color, so as to better keep track of who was voting for their party.

Thanks for clueing me in to a new shortcut. It seems there are a few phrases that when invoked by a poster are a tipoff that they are not to be taken seriously, such as referring to President Bush as 'Jorge' or claiming a Kissinger/Bildeberger type conspiracy.

I can now add 'The War of Northern Aggression' to those phrases.