The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-06-09
A NOVELTY IN VOTING.
Description OF tho ballot Submitted to
tho Massaeh uaetts I.eRislature.

the Massachu husetts Legislature.
Messrs. Richard II. Dana and Nor
rill Wyman, Jr., have prepared for the
Committee ON Election Laws Of the
Massachusetts Legislature ballot
which, in many respects, is the best
measure of the kind we have ever seen.
Their bill opens with provision that
all ballots shall be printed and dis
tributed at public expense. Upon that
point there is no longer any division OF
opinion, everybody conceding the wis
dom of taking from the political organi-
cations the dangerous and corrupting
control of the ballots which have been
so long in their hands.
Each ballot shall contain the name,
residence with street and number In
city elections,) and party or political
appellation of every candidate whose
nomination for any Office to be speci-
fled In the ballot has been duly made"
the names to be arranged in alphabet
ical order, except that presidential
electors are to be arranged in n sepa-
rate group. The provision for distribu-
ting the ballots to the election officers
at the polls is so specific and so inter-
esting as an effective means for pre-
venting forgery of the official ballots
that VIC give it in full:
"Soction IA. The Secretary of the
Commonwealth shall send the proper
ballots, specimen ballots, and cards of
instruction printed by him, to the sew
eral city and town clerks, so as to be
received, one set ut least forty.cight
hours before tho day of election, the
other set sent separately so rs to be re-
ceived at least twcnty-four hours before
the day of election. These ballots,
specimen ballots and cards shall be
sent in separate sealed packages,
clearly marked on the outside for the
polling place for which they are in
tended, and tho number of ballots in
closed. The ballots, specimen ballots,
and cards of instruction printed by the
city clerks shall each set be packed in
separate sealed packages clearly marked
on the outside for the polling precincts
for which they are intended The city
and town clerks shall send to the sew
eral officers of each precinct or to the
selectmen of the town before the open.
ing Of the polls on election day, in the
manner in which the ballot boxes are
required to be sent, one full set of tho
packages of ballots, specimen ballots
and cards intended for that polling
place. keeping record OF the number
OF ballots sent to each polling place.
The second set shall be retained until
they are needed for the purpose of vo-
ting. At the opening of the polls in
each polling place the seals of the pack
ages shall be publicly broken and the
packages opened, and the books of bal
lots handed to the ballot officers heren-
after provided for by the precinct officer
or the selectmen of the town presiding
at such polling places. The cards of
instruction shall be posted in each
place provided for the marking of the
ballots, hereinafter provided for, and
not less than three such cards, and also
not less than five specimen ballots.
posted in and about the polling place
| oulSiuc ohc Sudtu TuilS, UelOfe any Dal-
lot is delivered to any voter"
When the voter receives his ballot
after he has shown that lie is entitled
TO vote, he must go alone into COM
partment and check with cross in the
margin of the ballot the names of the
candidates for whom he wishes to vote
Then he must fold his ballot so that the
official Endorsement on the back will
be visible, and, coming from the COM
partment, deposit itin the ballot-box. No
ballot without the official Endorsement
can be received by the officers in charge
of the ballot-boxes, and if any such
should get in, it must be thrown out in
the counting. Any voter who allows
his ballot to be seen by any person with
the apparent intention of letting it be
known how he has voted or intends to
vote. or any person who interferes or
attempts to interfere with any voter
while marking his ballot. or who at
tempts to ascertain in any way how he
has voted. shall be punished by fine
of not less than So or more than 500.
Nation.