For the first territorial grade the ordinance of 1787 conferred no rights of suffrage on the citizens. The Governor and judges were installed by the federal government and the laws and courts, and all appointments, both civil and military, were in their hands. The appointive power and general authority of the Governor could be autocratic.

With the second grade, wherein a House of Representatives was elected while the Legislative Council was appointed from Washington, the voting was "restricted to those inhabitants who, in addition to other qualifications, owned, severally, at least fifty acres of land" (Dillon, pp. 540). While the large powers of the Governor were not abused by Harrison there was more or less chaffing under the restriction imposed upon the citizen. A law of 1807 modified the qualifications of electors by a liberal construction of the ordinance, and Congress in 1808 modified them still more by extending the franchise to the owner of a town lot of the value of $100. Still Congress was petitioned, not only to further modify the qualifications but also to make the legislative council and the territorial delegate to the federal body elective. The election of the delegate was granted in 1809, and in 1811 the right of voting was given to every free white male person who had attained the age of twenty-one, who had been a resident of the territory for one year, and who had paid a county territorial tax. In 1814 the law was made to read "every free white male person having a freehold in the territory and being a resident in the same," the time of residence being eliminated. That year, also Congress authorized the Legislature to lay off the territory into five districts of two counties each and extend to the voters the privilege of electing the members of the Legislative Council. The next step was the complete self-government granted by the act enabling the territory to become a separate state with its own constitution. (Edward E. Moore, in his book, "A Century of Indiana," points out that the territorial government really contained very little that was democratic. As he says: "The Governor, the Secretary, the judges and one branch of the Legislature were appointed by the President and Congress, and the minor officers including the magistrates and civil officers in the counties and townships, were appointive by the Governor. The people had the bare privilege of electing the members of the Lower House of the Legislature under the second grade of government. Even then they were hedged about with residence, race and property qualifications until the franchise was enjoyed by a small percentage of the population only. Such property qualifications were also required of the officers to be appointed or elected as to insure that their selection form the wealthier and more favored classes. The Governor was made a part of the Legislature and at the same time he had the power of absolute veto over its acts. He also had authority to convene, prorogue or dissolve the assembly when he saw fit."