vote early and often

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 9/28/06, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> > On 9/28/06, Dennis Baron <debaron at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm trying to pin down "vote early and often." Is there a source for
> > > this oft-repeated adage about Chicago politics?
>
> L. J. Bigelow's _Bench and bar: a complete digest of the wit, humor,
> asperities, and amenities of the law_ (1867) attributes the expression
> to John Van Buren (son of Martin):
>
> -----
> http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa&cc=moa&xc=1&idno=ady1104.0001.001&g=moagrp&view=image&seq=165
> To Mr. Van Buren belongs the paternity of another phrase as frequently
> used as the above. "Vote early and vote often" was the witty advice
> which he gave a Democratic meeting twenty odd years ago.
> -----

And now I see Safire's Political Dictionary also gives Van Buren credit.


--Ben Zimmer

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