Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-21
ELECTION LAWS.
.EADlNG FEATURES OF THE STAT.
UTES OF THE STATES
Viva voce Voting in Kentueky-CertiA.
Gates of Eegistration-Pon Tax Re-
ceipts-Form and Size Of Bal
lots-"Saving'' the Ballots.
Chicago Times !

Chicago Times.
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, AMI the
requisite data for those three have been OBJ
tanned from their latest statutes The aim
has been 50 far As possible 70 give the pres
ant requirements of the laws, and it Is be-
lie ved that success has attended the effort
IL. this direction.
Nine states have no registration laws.
These are Arkansas. Delaware, Georgia, In
iiana Kentucky. Ohio. Oregon, Texas. and
| West Virginia In all the states except
Kentucky voting is by ballot There it is
viva vOce. the voter appearing at the polling
place and announcing orally the persons or
PROPOSITIONS In favor Of which lie wishes to
express his preference This was formerly
quite a common method Of voting; but,
though it still has many advocates through
out the country. Kentucky, 1t appears is the
My ons.
Ths column giving the dates Of the regis
tration act shows that New Hampshire had
such an act "a long ago a. 1910. Nevada ap-
pears t. come next, with u law enacted In
lo,;i. and Illinois next with one en-
cted in 1865 Most Of these laws in
their present form have been enacted
since $50 1t does not follow, however,
tiat none # the states had laws of this kind
Lefore the dates given in the table since, as
above stated, the aim has been 10 give, not
the origin. but the present state Of the regis
tratiJn laws.
In eighteen Of tho states that have regis
tration laws registration is required in all
voting precincts or towns. Those requiring
registration only in towns or cities having IL
certain population Or mora. with the mum
her II inha bitauts renderin, registration
necessary. follow: Iowa, 5000:
Kansas, 1000: Main. 1890: Minnesota,
l2OJJ: Missouri 81 0pD; Nebraska, p 800:
New Jsr--y, 1869; Tennessee. 10, 900, Wis
consin, l,jJo All the others that have
registration laws require registration
throughout
In nineteen Of the states having laws of
this kind re gistraiiDn Is Indispensable. La
two other, Alabama AMI North CarUliaa it
is practically 50. but in Alabama one may
register on election day, except in towns Of
over j, 90 inhabitants, and IN North Caro-
lima if II voter become, Of age election
day he may vote without Icing registered.
In Florida registration Is practically iniis-
pen,able, but there are exceptional cases.
In Illinois. Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska,
Pennsylvania AMI Wisconsin votes may be
sworn IL, IA eases where the voter is not reg
istnreI
Certificates of registration are issued in
four stata,-namyiy, kan,as, Rhode 1slaui,
South Carolina. and Tenressee. In Ala
I..,,,.
# registration on election day. IN Louisi-
ana certificate, issued in the city If New
Orleans bat not Elsewhere. 1t does not APP
pear however, that voters are called upon
- exhibit certificates. except IN doubtful
case. Tie certificates rather for the
benefit az tIs voters. who are thereby pro-
teci..i AGAIN L ilie frauiulent erasure of their
nam=s .r,m the lists by the cleo
tinn rhoat, aud bulldozers The col
umn showing what it costs voters
To- obtain certificates Of registration
is very far from being satisfactory. 1t
show nothing except that III Tennessee u
certificate costs the voter nothing, and that
10 Rhode Island a man must own property
a-e's>ei at SlJi or more before he can OBJ
tam certificate or cast vote. In Della
v.rc, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
mIn must lie able 10 exhibit u poli-tax re
ccpt 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 seconl. e, and
in the third 81. Ii is something of sur
prise 20 In that from all the rest of the
,tats> the report Is that the pay nient OF poll
lax Is not required II prerequisite to vot-
M.
in sixteen Of the states there is no pro-
SISiOI oI law prescribing the form and sizs
n Z hallnf. Tn. fut,Il,r hit sht,u
that there are such provisions of law III Ala
bInIa, Colorado, California. Indiana, Mas
>Gci.u cts, AMI Ohio, but does not show
what TIA SO provisions are. In FlIrida and
Louisiana the only prescription seems 10 be
that TIE ballots NUT be printed on white
r.yei. In North Carolina AMI Ore goa the
paper mast be white AMI without device. In
Nevada nothing is said about the color Of
the paper, but the prescribed szs = by 10
Incher- In Illinois 1t rs proviiei that
there ,hnll hs n blank space below
each nam. Tn, requirement seems to
be d.sta-te:ul "a it i often ob-,rved
only ia the ma formal way. In Minnesota
the ballots "a cities must be On white paper,
aud 81 cquli aizs In South Carolina the
tickets must 10 white and without device,
AMI y ry , IA ches IN dimensions Ia err
mont lns law pTe-crltes only the srIn f the
wori which the ballot shat! printed
ln Rboie Island the ballot re i.-ruIshei 10y
the secretary II stat in eli sealing en-
veloI-,S # uniform SIZE OF all tie modes
this Is tbs lest thu, ar ac,cribei for The
prevention uf ticket cuUlterfstin, AMI such
fraulS we're Attempted in Chica:o iast
fail An =. IT Is confined t. this ne lit
tie state
III. tabular statement shows that in
eighteen states the ballots are "Savei,n but
1t does at STOW how Ion, they are savel
In Ca!.:urUia. Maryland, Missouri. Me-
braskT. Oregon Tcxl>. and West Virginia
tie ballots AZ, saved one year In Counecti-
cut. Nevada. and New Jer-ey they arc
saved SIX IN nthS In Alabama they ara
kept sixty day, In Michigan and Mime
sofa they are saved until the next election.
In Vermont they are saved. the names ara
cut apart and IN tins shape they are sent
sealed u t.ir canvG->ng board. In Maine.
New SorS and Wisconsin they are de-
stroyed: bu; in Wisconsin all ballots that
may b. defective are kept aS evidence.
Officer, Of election are chosen IN all Sprts
Of ways. T-'rh - the mo common being
by county boards Of supervisors. IT com
missioner Ia this mode they are APP
poin'"l ia California. Florida, Illinois,
Indiana, NaryianI North Carolina and
VISION IN Bat in some of these states a
in Illinois. tie election officers IN cities arc
appoint, hv the city councils. In Alabama
they ar. a I..ntei Lv the probate judge.
sheriff AMI clerk of the circuit court. In
Arkansas they arr appointed 10y the county
judges. m Colorado. by county comnittess;
in Connecticut iy Ia. registrars; in Della
ware directly ~ tho people: IN Iowa. by
the township trustees: in Kansas. By county
officer. IN Louisiana. bv the supervisor 4
the parish: in Nebraska they are elsct.i an