The Portland daily press., 1889-01-08
The AUSTRALIAN VOTING SYSTEM,
Full Text Of the Bill to Come Before
Maine Legislators.
Carefully Prepared Provisions to
Guard the Elective Franchise.
Proposed Method OF Preparing and
Casting the Ballots.

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national, state, district and county officers in
cities and towns after the first day OF September
In the year eighteen hundred and ninety, and all
ballots cast In municipal elections In cities after
that date shall be printed and distributed at pub
lie expense. as hereinafter provided. The print
ing OF the ballots and cards of instructions 70
voters shall In municipal elections In cities be paid
for by the several cities respectively, and in all
other elections the printing OF the ballots and
the several cities and towns shall be paid for by
the Stale. The distribution OF the ballots TO the
voters shall be paid for by the cities and towns
The term Estate election as used in this act,
shall apply TO any election held for the choice OF
national, state, district or county officer, whether
for a full term or for the filling of vacancy, and
the term Estate Officer shall apply TO any person
10 be chosen by the qualned voters at such cleo
ton. The term 'cty election" shall apply TO any
municipal election so held in city, and the term
city officer" shall apply 10 any person TO be chOs-
en- by the qualified voters at such an election.
Nominations Of Candidates.
SEcT. 2-Any convention Of delegates, and any
caucus or meeting of qualified voters, as herein
after defined and individual voters to the number
and In the manner hereinafter specified, may
nominate candidates for public office, whose
names shall be placed upon the ballots to be fur
SECT. 3-Any convention OF delegates repre-
senting political party which, at the election
next preceding, poled at least three per cent. Of
the entire vote cast in the State or in the electoral
district or division thereof l0r which the nOmi-
nation Is made, and any eaueuses called and held
a
district or division, may for the State or for the
district or division for which the convention or
caucus Is held, as the case may be, by causing a
certificate OF nomination to be duly filed, make
one such nomination for each office therein to be
hlled at the election. Every such certificate of
nomination shall state such facts as may be re-
quired as above for its acceptance, and as are re-
quired In section five of this act; shall be signed
BY the presiding officer and by the secretary Of
their nse ~ ~ wo % s auc oreret1 10
them to be true TO the best Of theirknowledge and
belief, and certificate Of the oath shall be annex
ed g. the certificate of nomination.
SECT. 4-Nominati0ns OF candidates for any Of
fees TO be filled by the voters of the State at large
may be made by nomination papers signed in the
aggregate for each candidate by not less than one
thousand qualified voters of the State. Nomina-
tons Of candidates for electoral districts or dvs
ions OF the state may be made by nomination pa
pers signed in the aggregate for each candidate
by qualified voters OF such district DIVISION not
less In number than one for every one hundred
election in SUCH district or division, but ia no case
less than fifty. In the case Of first election to be
held In town or ward newly established the
number Of fifty shall be sufficient for the nomina
tion of candidate who is to be voted for only in
such town or ward and in the case Of first cleo
ton In a district or division newly established,
shall be so sufficient. Each voter signing nOmi-
nation paper shall add to his signature his place
of residence, and each voter may subscribe to one
nomination for each office to be filed and no MORE
The nomination papers shall before being filed be
respectively submitted to the clerks Of the cities
or towns In which the signers purport to be quail
fed voters, and each clerk to whom the same is
submitted shall forthwith certify thereon what
number OF the signatures are names Of qualified
clerk and ia the ed district or division Tor Which the
Is made; one OF the signers to each
such separate paper shall swear that the state
and belief and the certificate of such oath shall
be annexed.
Seer. 5-An certificates of nomination and
nomination papers shall, besides containing the
names Of candidates, specify as to each ~ the
ONCE for which he Is nominated; (2) the party
or political principle which he represents, ex-
pressed In not more than three words; (3) his
place OF esidenc with street and number there
on, IL any. In the case Of electors of president
and vice president OF the United States, the names
OF the candidates for president and vice president
may be added TO the party or political appellation.
SECT. 6-Certincates Of nomination and nomi-
nation papers for the nomination of candidates for
State or County offices shall be filed with the sec
retary Of State at least fourteen days previous TO
the day OF the election for which the candidates
are nominated. Such certificates and papers for
the nomination OF candidates for the oifiees OF
mayor and OF aldermen In cities shall be filed with
the city clerks OF the respective cities at least ten
the nomination Of candidates for all other city
oillces at least six days previous TO the day OF
SECT. 1.-The certificates of nomination and
papers being so filed, and being in ap-
parent conformity with the provisions Of this act,
shall be deemed TO be valid, unless objection
thereto is duly made in writing. Such objections
or other questions arising in relation thereto In
the case OF nominations Of State or County officers
shall be considered by the secretary of State and
the adjutant general and attorney-general and
the decision OF the majority OF these officers shall
be final. Such objections or questions arising in
the case Of nominations Of city officers shall be
by the municipal officers and their de-
csion shall be final. In case such objection is
made notice shall forthwith be mailed to the can
didates affected thereby, addressed to their resi-
denees as given in the certificates of nomination
papers.
SECT. S-Any person whose name has been pre-
sented as candidate may cause his name to be
from nomination, by request in writing
signed by him and acknowledged before any
and filed with the secretary OF State ten days or
with the proper city clerk five days, as the case
may be, previous to the day Of election, and no
name so Withdrawn shall be printed upon the bal
lots. No nomination published and posted as
herein provided shall be subsequently omitted as
invalid.
SECT. s-All certificates of nomination and
nomination papers when filed shall be open under
proper regulations TO public inspection, and the
shall preserve the in their respectivs ofices
not less than five years.
Form of Ballots.
SECT. 10-Every general ballot, or ballot in
tended for the use Of all male voters which shall
be printed IN accordance with the provisions OF
this act, shall contain the Names residences, to-
gether with street and number, II any, and the
party or political designation of all candidates
whose nominations for any offices specified In the
ballot have been duly made and not withdrawn In
herewith, and shall contain no other
names: Except that In the case Of electors Of
president and vice-president of the United States
the names Of the candidates for president and
yce-president may be added to the party or polIt-
ical designation. The names of candidates for
each Office shall be arranged under the designation
Of the office In alphabetical order, according 10
except that the names of candidates
Tor the electors Of president and vicepresident
shall be arranged In groups, as presented in the
several certificates OF nomination or nomination
papers There shall be left at the end Of the list Of
be elected to such ONCE in which the
voter may insert the name OF any person, not
printed on the ballot, for whom he desires to vote
as candidate for such office. Whenever the ap-
proval OF a constitutional amendment or other
question Is submitted TO the vote of the people,
such questions shall be printed upon the ballot
after the list OF candidates.
The ballots shall be so printed as to give TO each
voter clear opportunity TO designate by cross
mark * In suflcient margin at the right of the
name OF each candidate, his choice of candidates
and his answer to the questions submitted, and ON
the ballot may be printed such words as will aid
the voter to do this, as 'yote for one" "yote for
three, yes" mo" and the like.
The ballot shall be not less than four inches In
width and not less than six inches in length. Re-
fore distribution the ballots shall be so folded In
marked creases that their width and length when
side, when folded shall be printed ''OncIaI Ballot
for? followed by the designation OF the polling
place for which the ballot Is prepared the date Of
the election, and fac-simile of the signature Of
the Secretary Of State or city clerk who has
caused the ballot TO be printed. Except as other
wise herein provided, ballots shall be printed In
accordance with the existing provisions of law
SECT. 11-An ballots when printed shall be
folded as hereinbefore provided and fastened to-
gether In convenient numbers in books or blocks
In such manner that each ballot may be detached
and removed separately. A record Of the num-
Der Of ballots printed and furnished to each poll
ing place shall be kept and preserved by the Sec
retary OF state and the several city clerks.
SECT. 12-There shall be provided for each yot-
Ing place, at which an election Is to be held, two
sets OF such general ballots, each OF not less than
one hundred for every fifty and fraction of fifty
voters therein, aud It shall be the duty Of the
clerks In each city or town In which an election
for state oficers Is to be held to certify TO the
secretary OF state fourteen days previous TO any
such election, the number Of qualified voters In
each city or In each town.
Information 0 Yoters.
SECT. 13-The Secretary OF State in case Of a
State election and the several city clerks in case
for the guidance Of voters at such elections as to
obtaining ballots, as to the manner Of marking
them, and the method Of gaining assistance, and
dentally spoiled and they shall respectively cause
the same, together with copies of sections twenty
seven, twenty eight, twentynine aud thirty of this
cards. to be called cards OF Instructions; and thev
shall respectively furnish the same and the ballots
for use In each such election. They snail also
the fac-simile endorseaents len or 1no more "nSss d
of the form of the ballot provided for aacb
voting place at each election therein, which shall
oe called Specimen Dallots, and shall be furnished
with the other ballots provided for each such yot
SECT. 1.-THE Secretary of State shall. six davs
70 tne day Of any election OF State
town In which such election is to be held. printed
nsr; nsrs containing the names, residences and
psrX psrJd d.ts. or political appelations Of all
yssS tor sSeh Election as ans herein to Pre- Ss
voted LOT at each polling place in each such ety
~ a. ths .o%n RESPECTIVELY Substantially in the form