The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-12-03

N1twi'hstIuding the Australian ballot
system does not go into fleet in this State
I'LL next September State election, vet rs
II Will muoiuCe radical changes ia the
manner Of voting, il will greatly facil.-
tate the working of the new law Of It's
provisions are pointed out al Il very early
date, 20 that voters may have time 10
fanlliarize the mselYes With the new sys-
tenn.
Inc most radical change of the new law
Is found in the fact that the printed bal
lot l. to be an "Onicial Ballot" furnished
by the Secretary Of State to the Clerk of
each town or city, which ball shsll con.
tain the names and residences of the sew
eral candidates nominated by each party,
grouped under the name VIII ch the party
has assumed, which ballot, would be
something like This:
Republican Party
For Governor
Name of Candidate
For Representative to Congress,
Name of Candidate
And SO on for each office to be- filled
Democratic Party }.
For Governor,
Name Of Candidate }.
fOr Represt utatiyc to Congress.
Name Of Candidate.
Anu 50 on iDf tdth once 10 ue nlleui
blanks for writing i'll another name being under
each printed name.
Then will follow the candidates nomin-
atsd by any other parties which at the
lust State election cast one per cent. OF
The total vote or 1879 votes. The four
parties which cast this vote at the last
election are the republican, democratic
prohibitory party and labor party. One
thousand voters may make a nomination
Tor Other groups OF Candidates.
The voters Will have this folded official
ballot, with the endorsement of the Sec
Rotary Of Slate on the outside, passed to
HIM by one of the outside, passed to him
by one of the two ballot clerks cone from
each of the two leading political parties
when he approaches the polls. Thereupon
after his name is checked on the dupl.
cate voting list, held by the ballot Clerks.
| he passes behind the bar which separate,
ach voter from the on side crowd and
| retres 10 small compartment, of which
there must be at least five in each ward OF
city and one for every hundred voters
in each town, where he marks his ballot.
/ he desires to vote the republican ticket
entire he simply makes a cross y within
the bracket at the right Of the words RE
publican Party" at the head OF the ballot
and this makes a vote for each of the
candidates in the republican group below
If he desires to vote only for part of
these candidates or for any candidate on
the democratic ticket below instead he
does not place cross after the words
''Republican Party" but proceeds to put
cross at the right of the name of each
person for HON ne desires to vote, TAX.
ing care that he votes for only one person
for each olice or other party designation,
/ for If he votes for two persons for any
Office, his vote for that Office is null fled
and not counted. ii he does not desire
TO vote for either of the nominees for a
particular office, he can write in the blank
under the office the name Of such person
as he desires to vote for, and mark a
cross X to the right of such name.
If the voter desires to vote the whole
democratic ticket or either of the other
tickets below, he can simply mark cross,
y, at the right of the designation "Dem-
ubratic Party" at the head of the psrtic-
ular ticket which he desires to vote.
The voter folds his ballet after n ark
ing it, before he retires from the com.
partment SO as tn bring the certificate of
The Secretary of S ate to view on the out
side and drops it in III ballot box, after
hi name has been checked on the origin
inal voting list, over which the warden
and ward cl' rk preside
If the voter cannot read. he may SO
state to the ballot clerks when he spplies
for ballot which fact, if required by
either Of the clerks, he shall make oath
to, wherenppn he may receive the aid of
the clerks whom he may select. In mark
ing his ballot. If the voter spells his
ballot in marking, he may return the
spoiled ballot to the clerk and receive %
new one. az every tlicia ballot furnished
TO the Ulcers must be accounted for.
To return now to the preliminary steps
before election
In the month of May preceding each
state election the municipal officers ar
r, CURED to appoint four election clerk
(twu Of each party for each polling place
10 cities nj tor each town of more than
| 600 Inhabitants, two Of whom cone from
each political parity shall be detailed t.
act at an election as ballot clerks to dis
tribute the official ballots and two such
clerks for each town Of less than ] 200
inhabitants. Sixty days before election,
the municipal officers of towns having
more than 1 goo voters, may divide such
towns into voting districts, each having
at least 800 voters.
Az least thirty days, tAtiuhlNc VI puu-
days before state elsctiOn, the presl
dent or secretary of STATE, district, county
n legislative district convention or eau
Gus OF any political party which cas-. on
per cent. of the tola vote at the last
election shall file in theothce OF the Sec
retary of State sworn statement OF
nominations made by such party and the
written consent of the nominees to serve
This will necessitate thai county conven
lions and legislative caucuses, IS well a.
other conventions, shall be held at least
three and half weeks before election,
which next falliwill be on September l2sh.
The Secretary of State prints these nom
inees thus certified on the official ballot.
The nominee for electors of President
and Vice President are to be certified 10
the Secretary of Slate and printed in the
same manner.
In city municipal elections which tai e
place after next September the nominee
are to he certified to the City Clerk, sew
en- days before the election, who prepares
and prints the Official ballot. To town
and plantation municipal elections tn
new ballot law does not apply. Provis-
ion is made for supplemental nominations
In all cases of tie death of nominee be-
fore the election
At least fourteen days before State
election the Clerk of each town and city
shall certify 70 the Secretary of State the