Arizona silver belt., 1891-05-23
AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY.

The law enutiCu An act 10 promote purity of elections, secure secrecy of the ballot, and to provide for the print ing and distribution of ballots at public expense. is on par with the Consti- tional Convention act and other laws passed by the Sixteenth Legislature. and seems to have been enacted with the object of creating the impression abroad, and especially in Congress, that Arizona is progressive and worthy of admission into the sisterhood of States That there are many point of excellence in the Australian ballot system is not to be denied, but at the same time it is cumbersome and expensive, and while advantageous, perhaps, iu the populous States of the East, it will prove an ex- pensiye and improbable experiment for Arizona. Preceding the first gen eral election in New York State, under the Australian ballot system, the polit- ical parties found it necessary to open schools of instruction for voters which were maintained for several months, so complicated IS this method of voting,
 The Arizona law provides that all ballots and cards of instruction to voters shall be printed and distributed at public expense, and shall be a county charge, the payment of which shall be provided for in the same manner as other county expenses. Under the provisions of sections 8, and candi- dates for office may be nominated by any political party which boiled at the last election, Territorial or county, one per cent. of the entire vote and such candidates must be furnished written certificates by the convention or com mittes nominating them. Certificates of nominees for Territorial offices shall be filed with the Secretary of the Ter ritory, and those for county offices with the Board of Supervisors. Candidates. not nominated by political party, will be eligible for election when furnishing a certificate of nomination signed by voters representing at least one per centum of the entire vote cast at the preceding election. All such ceItiti- cates shall be preserved and open to public inspection.
 Sections 15, Is, IT, IS and 19 pre- scribe the form and manner of print ing ballots, which shall be printed, on white paper, and ready for inspection by candidates and their agents at least ten days before general election. At least five sample ballots for each polling place, printed on tinted paper, shall be provided by the several Boards of Stu pervisors, and delivered to the election officers, together With ''cards of in- struction to voters" explaining how to obtain ballots, the manner of marking them, obtaining assistance in marking ballots and as to procuring new ballots in place of those accidentally spoiled, and sections 32, B, 34 and 35 of the act shall also be printed on the cards of instruction. One of said cards and one sample ballot shall be posted in plain view in the room where the ballots are cast, and four each of said cards ard sample ballots in and about polling places. The ballots prepared and pro- vided by the several Boards of Super. visors shall contain the names of all candidates, certificates of whose nomi- nation have been filed, with their place of residence, and the political party to which ahey belong. Each ballot shall be endorsed official ballot and bear on its back fac simile of the signature of the chairman of the Board of Super visors to be so printed across the line Of perforation as to leave part of the name on the ticket and part on the stub. Each ballot shall be perforated near the top so as to leave a stub when the ticket is torn of, and the stubs shall be numbered consecutiyely. Ballots when printed shall be fastened together in blocks of 100 ballots each. There shall be printed and furnished to each polling place at which an election is held POO ballots for every 50 voters or frac- tion thereof whose names appear on the great register On opening of the polls the presiding officer shall produce the sealed package of ballots and pub licly open it, and deliver one book or block of ballots to the ballot clerks, the remaining blocks of ballots to be re- tained by the presiding officer til called for by the clerks The number of polling places shall be determined and located at least ten days before cleo ton, and not less than two nor more than four ballot clerks, shall be ap- pointed for each polling place, said clerks shall be appointed to represent equally the two opposing political par ties casting the highest number Q, votes -' the prernai election. The clerks
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