The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-19
THE MANNER or JOTTNG IN
RRA NIE


everything connected with the management
of public affairs is conducted on a precise
system, which would perhaps not be either
possible or desirable in democratic country.
1t is certain, however, that too many safe
guards cannot be thrown around the ballot
box, and in our large cities, at least, matters
have come to such pass that honest men of
all parties see the necessity for more strin-
gent regulations in the manner of voting
even at the expense of some inconvenience to
voters. AS much interest has been ex-
cited by the recent French elections, a brief
description of the manner of conducting the
balloting will not be inopportune, and we may
obtain an idea or two that will be of practical
value to ourselves.
Each elector is provided with card show
ing the district, the date of the election and
the name, age, and business of the bearer.
This is his certificate of registration, and
without it he is not permitted to deposit his
vote. The election is conducted under the
superintendent of the mayor of the arron-
dissement, or delegate, who selects two of
the oldest and two of the youngest of the
electors present as sc1utateurS or judges, and
these, with the president and secretary, con-
stitute the bureau.
At the appointed hour the polls are opened,
and each elector hands his folded ballot to one
of the scrutdteurS, who gives it to the presi-
| dent, who drops it into the box after satisfy
ing himself that it is not duplicated. Ano-
ther Scrutateur ascertains whether the
elector has his card, from which
he tears off a corner, to show that
he has voted. The polls are closed at o'clock
P. NJ, and the president ties number of
strings around the ballot-box, seals it, and
gives it into the keeping of the soldiers of the
National Guard.
The same routine is gone through with on
each day, and then the election is over The
votes are counted Immediately by the bureau
on large table, which is, by law, placed in
such manner that the electors can walk
around them and inspect the operation to
see that it is fairly done. No vote is noted
on the tally-sheet until it is submitted to two
of the scrutateurs. Two days afterwards the
aggregate vote of the several precincts is
counted at the Hotel de Vile by commits
sion, and if no candidate has received ma o.
rity of votes, second election is held week
afterwards when plurality of votes is suf.
cient.
The main features in which this method Of
conducting elections differs from our own are
the counting of the votes in public, as to the
expediency of which much may be said on
both sides in this country, and the presenta
ton of registration certificates by the electors.
This appears to be an excellent and unobjec-
tionable plan for checking illegal voting
which We might adopt with propriety and
benefit. 1t would impose no hardship or in
convenience that citizens who are solicitous
to prevent fraud would not readily submit to
indeed, it would be no inconvenience at all
but rather an assistance to both electors ant
the election officers under our Registry law
and it is well worthy of the consideration o
those who are anxious to preserve the purity
of the ballot-box, and to make our elections
fair expressions of public opinion.