The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-04
What the Reformers Overlooked.

The new ballot law, under which the next
election Is to be held, is described In chapter
262of the Laws OF the State as ian act to pro-
mote the independence OF voters at public
elections enforce the secrecy Of the ballot,
and provide for the printing and distribu-
ton Of ballots at public expense"
That it supplies at public expense the
means for printing ballots and that its pro-
visions. II diligently enforced. will establish
some new safeguards to the independence Of
electors. there is no doubt; but whether it
will enforce secrecy depends a good deal
more upon the probity, intelligence, and
falthfulness Of the officers who are sworn to
administer 1t than the theoretical advocates
and students OF the measure seem willing
to balieve. This does not result from any
desire in the promoters OF the bill to destroy
tho secret character Of the ballot, but Ia
wholly attributable to the fact that In en-
deavoring to establish additional restrlc-
lions, they have Incorporated some new dam
gers not known under the old law.
The character and extent Of these dangers
Is such as to require careful explanation.
Section "a of the law provides that when a
voter, who is duly qualified, presents him
self at the polling place no must announce
his name In order to receive his ballots. Then
this process must be observed:
His name shall DO noted by tho poll clerks and each
voters nAme shall be numbered onsecutvely by the
poll clerks with tho number upon the stub OF tho ballots
delivered him and in tho order Of tho respective ap
poatons for ballots 70 tho ballot clerks, The ballot
clerks shall thereupon deliver to the voter, and the
shall receive and take with him into the booth
compartment Of each kind Of ballots which shall
have been furnAhed for at such polling place But
before any voter shall receive said ballotA and
presence and Wow Of the voter each of said ballot
clerks ballot clerk and inspector shall write his
1anau WDoH he stub OF Teach QrSdtd ballots"
In other words, there Is to be perforated
coupon attached to each ticket, which is
handed to the voter for his use. Upon each
coupon Is to appear the voters number, and
on either side the initials OF the two poll
clerks. Supplied with these ballots-and no
others can be yoted-the citizen retres to his
secret compartment and chooses from the
tickets the enc he desires to vote. Having
done this. he folds each Of the tickets SO that
the stub with his number and the initials of
the ballot clerk upon 1t shall appear on the
outside. Taking In one hand the ticket he
desires to vote, and In the other the tickets
for which he has no use, he presents himself
at tho ballot box. The numbers on his tickets
must correspond with his number on tho
poll book, and the initials of the inspectors
must also correspond. They are examined
by the inspectors for that purpose.
or course, if each ballot has the number
and initials of the poll clerks precisely and
identically the way man votes cannot, by
such method. be told. But II either one OF
the ballot clerks, In marking his initials,
should accompany them with any sign or
popularity of writing, understood by either
one of tho inspectors upon the other side OF
tho room, who tako and examine the
tickets, the latter would havo no difficulty
IN RSesrtaiping who voted. q ticket private,