On November 8, 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested for illegally casting a ballot in the presidential election. More than a century later, single women are the nation’s most potent political force. Anthony’s grave in Rochester, New York, is a popular destination for women who want to honor her memory by doing their civic duty, and according to the Democrat & Chronicle, this year the city’s mayor is making it even easier to do so.
Mt. Hope Cemetery, where Anthony is buried, usually closes at 5:30 p.m., but on Election Day, it’ll be open until voting ends. “Visiting Susan B. Anthony’s gravesite has become an Election Day rite of passage for many citizens,” Rochester’s mayor told the paper in a press release. “With this year’s historically significant election, it seems right to extend that opportunity until the polls close.”
Gimmicky? Maybe. But women like Jerry Emmett, who’s just happy she lived long enough to vote for a woman for president, probably wouldn’t mind.
