Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-10-19
oALLOT REFORMS BOOM
Eighteen States Without the
Australian System.
THIRTEEN TO TRY IT IN NOVEMBER.

| IN Interesting Review Of the Introduc
tion OF the New Method OF voting
Ihrouehoutth the Union-The Australian
Plan First Tried In oonnecticut.
ALBANY, Oct l9-All but eighteen Of
the forty-fonr states in the Union will. in
November, vote some form or other Of the
Australian ballot The eighteen states
are Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia.
idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisi-
ana, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada. North
Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina.
south Dakota, Texas and Virginia. The
next legislature OF Kentucky will under
the new constitution adopted last August
enact such law; and Iowa, having barely
aeieated such laws early in 1891, is likely
70 pass ballot reform laws within the com
ing year. Thus only fifteen states have
made no move to enact the reform, Maine
having passed law to take effect next
year
Fret Tried In Connecticut.
The Australian ballot was first tried in
Connecticut and Montana, then a terri
tory, in the October elections OF 1850 Al
the November elections Of the same year
Rhode Island aud Massachusetts ioined
them, making four states having the new
system for that year. Montana had the
genuine blanket ballot. with the names
OF al the candidates on one piece Of paper.
Connecticut did not come up to the stand
ard with its provision for official envelopes
which may not be marked for identified
ton in any way. The voter can obtain at
the booth "ballots Of any political party
ne may desire, but they must be printed
on Official paper and the envelopes must
be indorsed by the officials.
The Real Australian Ballot.
The full Australian ballot law was first
adopted by Massachusetts AS originally
enacted the names Of candidates were
placed upon the blanket ballot and an
ranged under the designation Of the Office
IA alphabetical order. according To sur-
names. There were left at the end of the
list OF candidates for each different Office
as many blank spaces as there were per.
sons to be elected to such office. ia which
the voter could insert the name Of anvpe
son not printed on the ballot for whom he
desired to vote. The ballots were SO printed
as to give to each voter clear opportunity
70 designate by cross in a sufficient mar
gin at the right the name Of each candi-
date, bis choice Of candidates, and his an
swer TO the questions submitted.
NO voter was allowed to keep booth
more than ten minutes Voters who were
not able TO read aud write were allowed
assistance. The law did not prevent party
workers from following the voters to and
from the polling place, but this defect has
peen reinedied by recent amendment
Nine More in 1890.
II 1890 nine additional states-Indiana.
Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New
Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Washing
'on and Wisconsin-adopted the new svs-
.em OF voting. Indiana added to the name
p the political party on the blanket ballot
! party device.
The names Of the candidates on the !
'arty tickets to be voted are marked with |
cross as IN Massachusetts The other |
.uoes requiring the cross were Minnesota.
tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin |
y missouri the voter must strike out all |
ne names for which he does not wish to |
The Faster Ballot.
New York is the only state thus far that
lows the use Of paster ballot, so that a
ooer, with this in his pocket, can fssten
anywhere on the official ballot, and it
.lll pe counted. New Jerseys law al
'Neu q sort oi paster ballot to be printed
y ,.5 each party at the public expense.
ihireeen more states will try the new
allot on the 81 of November next. They
re Arkansas, California, Delaware mi.
ols, Michigan, Nebraska, Mw Hamp-
hire, Ohio, Oregon, PENNSYLVANIA. yer-
lont, West Virginia and Wyoming
rkansas, like Missouri, erases all the
ames not voted for. All the other states
AIMED above require the voter to make a |
'oss opposite the names or the party
roups for which he wishes to vote. Mich.
AN and Ohio allow party devices. The
'ters Of West Virginia may vote by secret
. open ballot as they choose.