The record-union., 1891-10-20
IT IS SIMPLE.
How to Prepare Ballots and Booths
for the Election.
The Law Can be Successfully Executed
If the Authorities VIII Read and
Follow the Statute.

Our evening contemporary, the Bee,
reports Auditor Young as saying that
"he anticipates considerable trouble in
getting the new election law into success
tul operation, and adds that he paid
visit to Oakland few days ago and Sc
cured pointers about what kind of tickets
must be used, and how the booths shall
be constructed
EASILY UNDERSTOOD
The law is as plain as a pike staff. tits
not at all ambiguous. Its directions no
man ought to mistake. 1t is notorious
that at Oakland it was not strictly COM
piled with, notably in the construction of
the booths. The Secretary of State has
issued the law in book-form, with copy
of the ballot to be used, as designed by
the author of the law. 1t is not, there
fore, reasonable that there should be any
difficulty experienced in the matter. The
RECoRD-UNIoN the other day printed
sample copy of the ballot in miniature
in exact compliance with the words of the
law.
NO EXCUSE FOR LAUNDERING.
Now it is essential that there shall be
no blunders made here, and that the law
small not be brought into disrepute by
bad management The suggestion that
difficulty is anticipated in getting the law
INTO successful operation may be-but
we hope not-father to possible fail
ure, for anticipation Of difficulty some
times invites it. Let the people see now
for themselves if there need be any stray
Ing by intelligence in this matter. Sec
uons 1896 and 1857 describes the ballot.
and this is the plain English of it.
THE PLAIN ENGLISH OF IT.
hnh ho11 cf -
the Secretary of State, who has upon it
secret water mark, the key to which is
known to him alone.
The ballot must be eighteen inches
long and four and half inches wide If
the names OF candidates are SO numerous
that the length Will not contain them
other columns Of four and half inches
may be added to the width. Between
each column there must be q heavy
printed rule line.
HOW PRINTED.
The ballot must be headed Municipal
ticket" and name the ward in which to
be used. If there are party nominations
the title of each party shall be put at the
head with the word straight and
blank square, in which the voter can
stamp an X.
On the left of the ballot is a stub with
perforated line. The stub is TO bear a
printed number. On the other side a
half-inch blank margin is to be reserved
with perforated line. On the back of
this margin the same number that is on
the stub is to be printed.
The office to be voted for is to be
printed in the body of the ticket, and be-
meath 1t, IN plain Roman type, the names
of the candidates with political designa-
ton, and at the end of the line blank
square in which the voter is to stamp an
\, If he does not wish to vote straight
ticket. At the end Of the list of candidates
are to be left as many blank spaces as
there are offices to be voted for, that
voters may write any name they wish.
The names and blank spaces are to be
numbered from one consecutively.
SUCH Is THE BALLOT.
That is the ballot, and the whole of it,
and there is not job printer in the land
that cannot set il up from this descrip-
ton. 1t is simpler than q bill OF lading
more understandable than most state
ments of commercial accounts, and
clearer than an assessment list. If any
doubt exists about the form, the sample
ballot issued by the Secretary Of State
viii clear it away.
THE BOOTH AND BALLoT-BOxEs.
Section 1903 ct seq. make the matter
clear. There Is to be a ballot-box marked
on the outside Municipal Tickets"
There must be sufficient booths or com
partmentS ''in which voters may con-
veniently mark their ballots, so that in
the marking thereof they may be screened
from the observation of others. and
guard rail shall be so constructed and
placed that only such persons as are in
side said rail can approach within SIX
feet Of the ballot-boxes and Of such booths
or compartments"
IN PLAIN VIEW.
Neither the boxes nor booths, says the
law, shall be hidden from view of those
outside the guard rail. The number of
booths shall be not less than one for every
fifty electors in the precinct. In each
booth there is TO be pens in holders, ink
stamp (x) and pad of ink fit for the
stamp.
Now let US see if any intelligent
builder could not construct the booths
from the foregoing description. A pre-
cinct has or should have but 200 voters:
the least number of booths, therefore,
must be four, but there may be more.
To make sure that there are enough, let
us say six shall be built.
THE BOOTHS, OR VOTING COMPARTMENTS.
Across one end Of a well-lighted room
put up against the wall a smooth shelf
four feet from the ground, say twenty
inches wide. Divide it into six equal
parts, each part say two and half feet
wide, by close partitions, extending two
and half feet above and to the floor be-
low, and outward saw three feet in width
from the back line of the shelf
In front of these booths, say three or
four feet distant, place table for the bal
lOt-boX, the ballot clerks, the tally clerks
and the inspector and judges. Six feet
in front of that place the guard rail, with
gates, one for ingress and one for exit.
This simple diagram will illustrate how
the law may be complied with.