New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-24
A GREEK ELECTION.
BLACK AND WHITE BALLS USED INSTEAD
OF PRINTED BALLOTS.

OF PRINTED BALLOTS.
IRON An occAsloNAL CORR EsroxDExr or 1AE 1NDUX1J
Athens, September 90.
The electoral campaign Is now fairly on, and
the people of Greece will soon have the privilege
of choosing new lawmakers to rule over them.
The electoral system here has some features which
appear strange to an American and which may b
of interest in these days Of ballot reform. In
the first place. all public and elective Officers, with
the exception Of those Of the Municipal Council.
are incompatible with the order Of the Deputy.
The functionaries Of every grade, the Mayors and
general councillors, who are proposed Is candt-
dates have therefore to send In their resignations
at least forty hours before the opening Of the
polls. Every one is eligible, be be beggar or
vagabond. All native Greeks have the right 70
vote in all but two districts. In these one u
Obliged to be o property owner and loses the right
to vote if he moves outside Of the bOundary-line.
1t is rare that candidate is presented In two
districts at the same time, this being contrary
to the prevailing code. Previous to 1885 the
electoral circumscriptiOn included district, or
parish, which contributed a Deputy for every.
10000 inhabitants But this regulation has been,
modified by NJ. Tricoupis. and now the number
Of Deputies is placed at exactly 500. The re-
ductlon Of the number encourages all sorts OF
hagglings and compromises. and disgTaces tho
representative regime. Besides this the extension
of the territorial boundaries has practically killed
the independent candidate. Fearing beforehand
that he will he biackballed il not included in
the list. they do not pose as candidates. This
system, however. does away with the professional
politician and parasites who would use their
political offices for their own private gains IL
is not the prerogative of any one person to name
his candidate He is Obliged to be submitted by
at least 200 voters who address, in his behalf, .
petition TO the president Of the tribunal, and
directly afterward the candidate must pay 200
drnchmas for the use Of the ballOt-b
and the ballots This the law terms
electoral expenses Four days before the
election takes place the president publicly.
announces the names Of the candidates.
On the night preceding the election, the cleo
tOral committee, assisted by a representative
chosen by each candidate, brings into the voting
places other ballot boxes which bear the names
of the candidates. each candidate having q ballot.
box of his own. The boxes are Of tin, and as
they are in great demand the tinsmiths reap d
considerable profit. All these boxes. infinitely in
spected, are carefully guarded by the committee.
They make use Of the process verbal, and place
seals upon the doors and entrances of the polling
place, which not reopened till early on the
following day, in the presence Of all the members
of the committee and the representatives, Of the
candidates. This formality ended the ballot
boxes placed on little tables are disposed in q
halfcircle in conspicuous place in the hall. BE-
hind each box stands the representative, who dis
tributes the balls. The commission sees that all
is in order and then the voters are introduced in
groups Of five.
Ali the ballot boxes are alike and resemble
cubical chests painted half black and half white.
They each divided inside into two compart-
ments. On one side of the box is an opening, ON
the outside of which is attached bag destined to
receive the balloting balls. Above this opening
is printed, in large letters, the word Mai yes), and
the other compartment the word Okhi tnO).
Above is the name Of the candidate. To the bOu
is fastened handle the length Of the fOrearmJ
Before the box each voter receives ball the size
Of a kidney bean. He is then solicited by the
representative of the candidate, who stands be-
hind his box, and asks for white ball that 10,
ball thrown into the compartment painted white.
voter then turns the handle, throwing the ball
into the white if he is favorable to the candidate
and into. the black if unfavorable This opera
ton continues until the electoral list is exhausted,
or until the closing Of the regular inspection. All
voting takes place the same day throughout
the kingdom.
The counting up is much more prompt than the
voting. This is effected by means of boards full
Of holes, over which scattered the balls.
When all the holes are fun they count 100 votes
to the name of the candidate. Then there Is
presented the last board, containing balls num-
boring less than hundred. In the reckoning
the black balls are not Included only the VIII t.
count. The candidates who have obtained tho
most white balls are proclaimed Deputies by the
president of the Electoral Commission Very
rarely is there any tric<ery in the operation VI
counting mp. The method Of casting votes In use
in the Ioninn Isles was adopted after the anncxa.
ton of the Isles to the Kingdom Of Greece. The
most serious evil of the method lies, not in it's
complications, but in the opportunity Of the voter
secretly to defraud the Government lie is forced
to for all the candidates and gives to each Of
them. according to his convictions his interests
a white or n black ball. But he may give q white
ball to each candidate Unfortunately. In this
case, his vote does not count Also, it frequently
occurs that the greater part of the candidates re-
ceive absolute majority of the votes; in which.
case those who have the most are made Deputies.
II occurs also that many candidates net having q
majority Of votes are made Deputies. The reason
for this is that the minorities escape the second
tour of inspection. They are, in fact elected on
the first count. With the Greeks the term black
ball Is not figure of speech: They do not say
vote for this one. or vote for that one They use
the phrase. blacken him, or whiten him. With
this system Of voting the numerous lists do not
present as many inconvenience as under tho
printed ballot system.