The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-01-25
THE AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM.

T.. h6ytS, Vi " luold, hdo AAAtA OooNOA
bill to take the place of the present
election laws. 1t embodies the main
points of what is known as the Austria
liam system of voting. According to the
Winona Herald, the bill provides that
there shall be one plain white ballot
with the names of all candidates who are
voted for throughout the entire state,
and all amendments TO the constitution.
If the presidential electors make the
ticket too long, they may be placed on
seperate white ballot. A blue tinted bal
lot shall contain the names of all candi-
dates for Office who are voted for
throughout the whole county only, and
a red tinted ballot shall contain the
names of all candidates to be voted for
in the township, village, city, ward or
precinct, only. The white ballots are to
be printed by the state auditor, bound in
blocks of 100, to be paid for by the state,
and distributed to county auditors at
least eighteen days before election. the
latter to give a receipt for the number OF
ballots received. The blue ballots are to
be printed and paid by the county and
distributed to city, village and town
clerks at least eight DAYS before election.
The red ballots are to be printed and /.
paid for by the city, village or township,
and distributed to clerks of election,
and a receipt for the number taken.
Each clerk shall provide 100 ballots to
every so voters registered at the last
election. On the tickets shall be print
ct the name of each candidate nominal
ed by any convention or gathering OF
voters, upon certificate of such nomin-
alton and the payment of a fee of $50 for
euery name on the white ticket, $40 on
the blue and S. on the red. The ballots
are to be 4RxS3 inches, with the name
of the candidate for each office In capt.
ais, following the name OF the office, In
the order they are handed in, viz:
Goyernor-W. R. MERRIAM, Rep.
Governor-E. NJ. WILSON, Dem. x.
Governor-H. HARRISON, Pro,
Governor
Opposite each is left vacant space for
the voter to designate his vote by a cross
(x). A blank is left for any name not
printed on the ballot. Names must be
handed in for state ballots twenty-eight
DAVIS before election, for county ten and
for CITY four. Constitutional amendments
are to be voted for in the same way by
a cross. At the polls there is to be
white, blue and red box to receive the
tickets of the corresponding color: In
the rooms where the judges sit are to be
provided not less than two booths for
every hundred electors registered. so
constructed and curtained OFT that the
voter can be concealed while he pre-
pares his ballot and in each shall be an
indelible pencil or ink. The judges may
limit the time of preparing the ballot but
it must be not less than nor more than
10 minutes. When voter comes, one
of the Judges tears from the blocks bal
lot of each kind to be voted, marks his
initials on the back and hands it to the
voter, who retires alone into the booth,
and marks his ballot by placing cross
XXI opposite each candidate he wishes to
vote for. He then folds the ballot so as
leave the judges initials outside ana
hands the ballot to the judges to De 9e-
posted. If any elector shows bis ballot
after marking it, the judge shall refuse
it. Printed instructions are furnished.
No election shall be held in or adjoining
any saloon. When a man shall make
oath that he cannot read or mark his
ballot. he shall have the right to call an
elector to his aid who shall read and
mark, the ballot in the presence OF the
Judges, but no person shall SO mark the
ballots of more than two electors on one
day. The usual fine and imprisonment
is provided for unlawful voting or at
tempting by threat or bribery to lnfiu-
ence any election. At caucuses, officers
must be sworn and only qualified voters
can vote. Bribery and fraud at primar-
les are ,misdemeanors punishable by
fine of not over S. 900 or imprisonment
of not over three years, or both, this to
apply only to cities of over 1000 lnhaDi-
tants.
Whether this particular bill becomes
a law or not, some sort of act is likely to
come to pass, as the popular feeling Is
that some method of securing immunity
from the vote buyer is necessary. Tous
the above appears to be a very complex,
red-taped proceeding, but we are not
making laws, and to the honest citizens 1t
makes very little difference how he casts
his vote if he is not detained from his
private affairs too long.