The new North-west., 1885-06-26
ELECTION LAWS.
LEADING FEATURES OF THE STAT
UTES OF THE STATES.
Viva Voce Voting in Kentucky-Certif-
Gates OF Registration-PoIl Tax Re-
ceipts-Form and Size of Bal
lots-"SavinR'' the Ballots.
tChicago Times |

lChicago Times.l
The Million has tabulated the results Of an
original investigation into the election laws
Of the different states, presenting the lead.
ing features Of those laws in a form con-
venient for reference and comparison. In
the performance of this service it has had
the assistance of state officials and private
citizens in every state but three, and the
requisite data for those three have been OBJ
tanned from their latest statutes The aim
has been 50 far as possible to give the pres
ent requirements of the laws and 1t is be-
lieved that success has attended the effort
in this direction.
Nine states have no registration laws
These are Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, In
diana, Kentucky. Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and
West Virginia. In all the states except
Kentucky voting is by ballot. There 1t is
viva voce the voter appearing at the polling
place and announcing orally the persons or
propositions in favor of which he wishes to
express ais preference. This was formerly
quito a common method Of voting; but,
though it still has many advocates through
out the country, Kentucky. 1t appears is the
only one.
The column giving the dates Of the regis-
tration act shows that New Hampshire had
such an act As long ago as lS40. Nevada ap-
pears to come next, with law enacted in
1864. and Illinois next. with one en-
acted in 1865 Most Of these laws in
their present form have been enacted
since 1870 II does not follow, however,
that none Of the states had laws OF this kind
before the dates given in the table, since, as
above stated, the aim has been to give. not
the origin, but the present state Of the regis
tration laws
T.. i'll a..
tration laws, registration is required in all
voting precincts or towns. Those requiring
registration only in towns or cities having q
certain population or more, with the num-
Der of inhabitants rendering registration
necessary, are as follows: Iowa, 5000,
Kansas, 1900: Maine, 1000; Minnesota,
10000; Missouri, 35, 900; Nebraska, 25 5,000f
New Jersey, 10000; Tennessee, 10, 900; Wis
consin, 1900. All the others that have
registration laws require registration
throughout
In nineteen of the states having laws Of
this kind registration is indispensable. In
two others, Alabama and North Carolina, IL
is practically SO, but in Alabama one may
register on election day, except in towns OF
over ), 900 inhabitants, and in North Caro-.
lima il voter becomes Of age on election
day he may vote without being registered.
In Florida registration is practically indis
penSable, but there are exceptional cases
In Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska,
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin votes may be
sworn in in cases where the voter Is not reg
istered.
Certificates of registration are issued in
four states-namely, Kansas Rhode Island,
South Carolina, and Tennessee. In Ala.
bama certificates are issued olly In cases
alz 1ayy Ia. tfnt-
ana certificate, are issued in the city Of New
Orleans, but not elsewhere. It does not ap-
pear, however, that voters are called upon
to exhibit certificates, except in doubtful
cases. The certificates are rather for the
benefit of the voters, who are thereby pro-
tected against the fraudulent erasure of their
names from the lists by the cleo
ton cheats and bulldozsrs. The col
umn showing what 1t costs voters
to obtain certificates of registration
is very far from being satisfactory. IL
shows nothing except that in Tennessee q
certificate costs the voter nothing, and that
in Rhode Island man must own property
assessed at Sl34 or more before he can OBJ
tain a certificate or cast a vote In Della
ware, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
man must be able to exhibit a poll-tax re-
ceipt before he can claim the right to vote.
The annual tax Of the first named Of these
states is 81 to 81. 80: in the seconi, 81, and
in the third, 81. 1t Is something Of q sur
prise 10 inl that from all the rest Of the
states the report is that the pay ment Of poll
tax is not required as prerequisite to vot-
mg.
In sixteen OF the states there Is no pro-
visioI OF law pres :ribing the Iorm and slzs
OF tue ballots. Tue tabular exhibit shows
that there ars such provisions OF law in Ala
bama, Colorado, California, Indiana, Mas
sachu aetts, ami Ohio, but does not show
what these provisions are. In Florida and
louisiana the only prescription seems to bs
that the ballots NUT be printed on white
paper. In North Carolina AMI Oregon the
paper must be white AMI without device. In
Nevada nothing is said about the color OF
the paper, but the prescribed size is by lo
inches. In Illinois it is provided that
there shall he blank space below
each name. This requirement seems to
he distasteful, as it Is often observed
only in the most formal way. In Minnesota
the ballots in cities must be on white paper,
aud OF equal size. In South Carolina the
tickets must be white and without device,
and ~ by inches in dimensions. In YER
mont the law prescribes only the form Of the
words in which the ballot shall Le printed.
In Rhode Island tao ballot' are FURNISHED by
the secretary of stats In self-sealing en-.
yslopes OF uniform sizs. or all the modes,
this is the best thus far described for the
prevention OF ticket cOunterIeiting and such
frauds as were attempted in Chicago last
fall And yet 1t is confined to this ons lit
tie state.
The tabular statement shows that In
eighteen states the ballots are Saved" but
it does not show how long they are savsi.
In California, Maryland, Missouri, Ne
braska, Oregon. Texas. and West Virginia
the ballots are saved one year. In Connecti-
cut, Nevada, and New jersey they are