Susan B. Anthony, a key figure in the American suffragette movement, is still inspiring women over a hundred years after she was arrested for illegally casting a ballot in the 1872 presidential election. People have recently been flocking to Anthony’s grave, leaving notes for her and posting “I Voted” stickers on her tombstone. Due to her gravesite in Rochester, New York being used as a makeshift pilgrimage site in the 2016 election, Anthony’s resting place will have extended hours on election day, USA Today reports.
The cemetery will remain open until 9:00 pm, rather than the usual 5:30 pm. Rochester mayor Lovely Warren called visiting Anthony’s grave an “Election Day rite of passage,” according to a news release in the Democrat & Chronicle. While supplies last, visitors will also receive other stickers with a photo of Anthony that says: “I Voted Today Because of Women Like Her.”
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One specific note left on Anthony’s tombstone embodies why her grave has become such a significant place. It reads, “Thank you, Susan B. Anthony, for devoting your life to women’s voting rights. Because of your work, on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, I will cast my ballot for the first woman president of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton!” Mayor Warren, however, summarized it best: “I can imagine she would have wanted to be part of the significant history this year’s election holds for women. It’s only proper that we invited Ms. Anthony to be a part of this important moment.”
