Virginia voting laws during the Waltons TV show time frame

[rob in cal]

My wife and I have been plowing through all the Waltons' shows on DVD, and we have passed through the depression and are now in 1944.  The show covers alot of changes in American society looked at through the prism of the Walton family (real life Hamners of course), but I noticed there has never been a show about anyone on the Walton's voting.  There was one episode were the sheriff is campaigning for reelection, but nothing about who the Waltons were voting for President, Senator etc.
    I'm wondering if Virginia's suffrage requirement was so stiff that the Waltons were ineligible to vote during this time.  In looking at the Presidential election results from the time, one notices the very low voter turnout in Virginia, and I'm guessing the suffrage laws, which I believe were designed to discourage low income voters of all races, were in play.  If this was the case, kind of ironic in view of the fact that in the coming war, much of the pro-allied propaganda concerned the fight for democracy vs. dictatorship.  Wonder how many Virginia (or other southern states as well) soldiers, black and white, couldn't vote in their home states during the fight against the dictators.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Virginia politics at that time were, especially in the rural areas, controlled by the Byrd Organization.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Well, I don't know about 1944, but today, county offices like sheriff are elected the year before the presidential election.

[rob in cal]

I think the sheriff election on the Walton's was held in the 1930's.  The voter turnout for Virginia in 1936 was something like 350,000 votes for President.  Minnesota (with a history of high voter turnout of course) with the same amount of electoral votes had about 1.1 million votes. 

[CARLHAYDEN]

First, welcome to the forum rob

Second, yeah the Waltons was a pretty good show, but

Third, it had its factual errors, like where the businessman during World War II claimed to have a contract with the "de-fence" department to produced mess kits. 

If the contract existed, it would have been with the War department.

[rob in cal]

Carlhayden thanks for the welcome.  Yes, I've noticed a variety of historical errors, but my wife and I enjoy the show, except for when it focuses on Walton relatives or the smaller kids and animals, gets a little hokey.  But in general its fascinating to see the changes in one family brought on by the development of technology, the depression, the war etc.

[jimrtex]

Elections were very much one-sided Democratic affairs.  In Texas during that time, turnout in non-presidential years in the Democrat primary was typically 2 to 3 that of the general election.  Virginia might not have had primaries - its current laws are pretty open-ended with respect to how nominations are made.  The first Republican representative (from at least the 30s onward) was Joel Broyhill, who was elected in 1952 from Arlington, so hardly the real Virginia.

The poll tax wasn't really very much - but could be seen as an extravagance, especially in an environment without much cash.  It might have been necessary to go to the county seat (Rockfish?) to vote.

When John Walton was working in Norfolk, was there much much in the story about WWII, or wasn't it mostly about the Walton's being a family even when he wasn't home.

[rob in cal]

Jimrtex, when John Walton goes to Norfolk I believe it was in 1940, with the US still not at war, but gearing up for it.  The later seasons take place after 1941 and the war has a key place in many episodes with all four boys ending up either volunteering and serving in the army and seebees.   But most episodes still revolve around life in Walton's mountain.

[CARLHAYDEN]

I seem to recall an episode in which a former schoomate of John Walton returns to run for the State Senate and seeks Joh's support.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

from Arlington, so hardly the real Virginia.

Screw you.