Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-06-14
HOW TO VOTE.


New Jersey voters will have a
feeling when they approach
the polls at the next election in Novem-
Der. Under the new ballot reform law
every old voter will go to the polls
with a feeling akin to the youngster
who goes up to cast the first vote.
His first real surprise will be the alb
sence of the usual mob around the
place where he is to deposit his ballot.
Instead of a half dozen men Of each
party standing right up in front of the
window and staring him in the face 70
see if they can tell how he intends to
vote there is a large vacant place. A
few men stand some distance away and
timidly offer a ticket to the voter, but
not with the old bull-dozing spirit.
This reminds the voter that under the
new law no electioneering is permitted
with one hundred feet Of the polling
place. There is really no use for tick
ct peddlers for there are plenty OF tick
cts inside, but the workers are permit
ted to buy some of the officials ballots
before election day if they so desire
and then have them to peddle.
The voter enters the door of the
room which must be provided for the
He looks in front Of him
and there is a railing and behind 1t
are the four election officers and the
poll clerk. He sees two places to get
behind the railing, and over on one
side are five small apartment which
looks like closets. He sees several
parties coming out of these handing
small envelopes to the election officers.
He notices hat the men waiting are
going behind the rallied enclosure
through one of the openings and com
ing out through the other. He follows
suit, and as he enters n Of the cleo
ton officers hands him three tickets in
an envelope containing the official
stamp. These are the official ballots
and envelopes printed at the expense of
the State, and they represent the Demo-
cratic, Republican and Prohibition
nominations. He is directed to n of
the booths and finds himself entirely
screened from the gaze of every one
All about the little shelf made to
write upon are piles of ballots Of differ
ent parties. He a take his choice
and he feels as he never did before
that it is time for him to vote just as
he thinks and not according to the
dictates of others. He selects his
favorite ballot, folds it carefully, and
inserts it in the envelope and goes out.
The envelope is left unsealed and is
handed to the election officers, one of
whom promptly deposits it in the bal
lot-box which is on the table at the OPP
posite end of the. enclosed apartment
from hat occupied by the booths.
The voter has done his duty as a citizen
and he passes out He notices a few
men in the room, but they are only
waiting their turn to vote or are the
authorized agents of the candidates or
the political parties. The candidates
themselves can be present in the room,
but their agents must be duly authoriz-
ed in writing. The chairman Of the
County Committee of the political par
ties can authorized two representatives
to be present in the polling room as
challengers.
But here comes a man being led by
another and apparently blind. How
can he go into the booth and prepare
his ballot? He makes inquiry Of the
election officers and they require him
to make affidavit he is blind. When
he does this they allow his friend to go
into the booth with him and aid him
in preparing his ballot.
The poll clerk is obliged to make a
memorandum of this fact and to state
in the memorandum the name of the
person who entered the booth with the
voter. The friend is not to divulge
the candidates for whom the voter cast
his ballot.
The mar who desires to get in his
vote on election day, however, must
see that his name is on the register
before that day. The manner ofmak-
ing up the list is changed somewhat.
Insthe first place, the Governor must
appoint a County Board of Registra-
ton in each county, to consist of four
persons, two of each party. These
are to act for one year. They must be
appointed within sixty days after the
act is approved. The state committees
of the two parties casting the largest
vote at the last election nominate these
offices to the Governor and he APP
proves or not as he p%leases. These
county boards appoint the precinct
election boards, which are organized in
exactly the same manner and are non-
partisan. The County Committee
nominate these and they are appointed
by the County Board of Registration.
These precinct boards meet four
weeks before election, and they pro-
coed to make up the list of legal
voters and they are required to make
actual inquiry at the dwellings Of the
voters.
Two complete lists are made up, and
three weeks before the election one of
the lists must be posted in q con-
spiciuous place so every n can see it.
On the Tuesday preceding election
this lists must be revised.
On the Thursday preceding election,
and as many days after as necessary,
the Court Of Common Pleas must sit
to revise the registry list.
In the regular city elections, which
occur on different days from the
annual elections, the governing body
has the appointment Of the election
boards, but they are constituted in the
same way and must perform their
duties under the same law.
This is the way in which the new
law operates, and it will be simple as
soon as people get accustomed to it.
1t is believed that bribery will have