Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-08-31
A Word to Town Clerks.

Much has been said and truthfully, of the
vital importance of true and correct returns be-
ing made of the result of elections. 1t is true
that the laws of the State furnish a remedy
whereby errors in returns, If discorered, may
be corrected by the Secord, but it cannot al
ways be known that the returns do not agree
with the record, and it sometimes occurs that
the record itself is defective. As an ex-
ample of the frequency with which errors
occur, we would state that an examination of
the gubernatorial returns shows that the re-
turns from twehty-eight towns were erro-
neous in the spelling or writing of the names
of the candidates voted for. Votes which
should have been returned for Daniel F.
Davis were returned as cast for Daniel f.
David, ID. +. Davis, and Daniel f. Smith
Votes intended for Joseph l.. Smith were re-
turned as for Joseph Smith, JOS l.. Smith, j.
l.. Smith, Joseph Smith and Josett L. Smith :;
while Garcelons name was enormously
spelled Gaslin, Garslon, Gacelon, Garcelin.
Garcellon, Garzelon, GarclOn, Gaselon and
Garslin; Alonzo being further tortured into
Alamo, Anolze, Alozo, Elonco and Elonzo !;
the whole number of votes thus incorrectly
returned amounting to 59S-enough to change
the result of an election when close
These errors cannot always be chargeablc to
the ignorance of the Clerk as in some instanc-
the returns are filed up by one of the Sc
lectmen, an instance of which is in the return
from the town of Freedom, in Waldo county,
where the return is in the handwriting of the
first selectman of the town, and thirty-one
votes are returned for Elonzo Garcelon; the
selectman referred to beiug no other than the
fusion Senator for that county, who, as Pres
ident of the fat Senate essayed for day or
two The role of Governor of Maine. Another
error is the omission both of the name of the
town and of the county from their proper
place in the returns. and in one instance every
assessor and the clerk of plantation in Mad
awaska made his mark instead of signing his
name, and none of the marks were Witnessed
unless the name of another party, written in
the corner, was intended for that purpose. In
the return of another plantation the names of
two of the, assessors were signed by their
marks with no pretense in any form of being
witnessed. Many other instances might be
given of errors in returns, but these are suf
ficient to show the absolute necessity of care
fuiuess in this particular. and we urge upon
the town officials whose duty it is to make up
the election returns to see to it that it is prop
erly done, and the legal requirements fulfilled
in every particular.
The following rules should be rigidly OBJ
served; Insert in the spaces left for them
the name of town and county Insert the
whole number of ballots given for each Office.
and the number of votes for each candidate
plainly written, and the names correctly
spelled. In writing the names of candidates,
do not write them as you think they are. but
copy them just as they are written or printed
on the ballots.
The returns should be a true COPY of the
records, and signed by the selectmen and
clerk and sealed up in open town meeting.
Read carefully the directions printed on the
blanks sent you for returns, and follow them
implicitly.
BY careful observance of the foregoing
hints You will not only give a correct return
OF the votes as cast. but you will greatly as
sist those whose duty it is to canvass and tab
ulate the returns, so that every voter shall
not only be able to cast his vote for the can
didate of his choice, but after So casting il
shall give Its influence in determining the re- |
suit of the election. without which his time
taken in going to the polls to deposit his bal. |
lot is thrown away, and he is deprived of all /
voice in shaping the affairs of the country.
We will add to the above that while but
three errors appear in the votes referred to |
above returned for the republican candidates.
twenty-five appear in those for the fusion
sts.