Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1891-03-19
THE new way OF VOTING.
The New Election Law ltevOlu-
tiOniZes the Manner Of Con-
ducting Elections.
the Old Manner Ol
Candidates Getting Before
the People.
The Expensive, Complicated
System for which the People
ClamOred.
The New Election Law.

! Probably the most important measur,
passed by the last legislature is the elec
ton law. 1t goes into effect July Is
and ali general elections for state ane
county officers come under its provisions
1t is a modified form of the Australian
law and completely revolutlonizes ou1
present mode Of nominating candidate.
for Office and conducting elections. Il
Is an expensive system, but the people
clamored for it. When the bill was un
der consideration it was stated with
just how much accuracy it is impossible
to stay-that it will cost SiLO ~ to hold
an election under Its provisions. A mum
Der of good amendments were proposed
| to the bill when it came down to the
house the last week of the session, but
the friends of the bill would not hear of
amendment They were afraid it would die
in the hands OF conference committee
as the bill did a year ago. The question
then became one of an expensive Austria
lian system or none at all and many
members voted for it against their juug-
ment because of the public demand ft r
s)metl,ins of the kind. The system is
not without it's advanta ,es, however. If
it have any disadvantages the test of the
next election will make them apparent.
There are forty sections in the bill. Nom.
nations of candidates for state offices
are to be certified to the state auditor
and in counties to the county auditor,by
the officers of the Illuminating convent on
or by certificates signed by 200 electors
when the nomination IS for state Office
and by not less than fifty voters when
the nomination is for county office.
These certificates are to he at any and
all times open to public inspection. In
the case of state officers the secretary
of state is to certify to each cou q.
ty the names of all candidates and the
party or principle they represent.
The county auditor must publish all
nominations in the official newspapers
Twice, ten days prior to election. Blocks
of printed ballots IN sufficient number to
allow three ballots to each vo.er, and
containing names Of all candidates, are
to be printed at public expense and fur
nished to the election officers. Ballots
are to be stamped as Official" and given
to the voter singly. None but ''official"
can be voted, and. IN case ballot is
spoiled in checking the names of candi.
dates the voter prefers, the voter may re-
turn it to tue judges aud get another in
return for the one spoiled. All unissued
or spoiled ballots are preserved aud re-
turned in sealed packages to the auditor.
Thus every ballot is accounted for and
there will be no bogus ballots to deceive
the voter. Space is left for writing the
names of any candidates the voter pre-.
f-rred to those printed. Each voer
must prepare bis own ballot, unless upon
oath he declares his inability to do So,
whereupon the judges may call to his as
slstance such other voter as he may wish.
Otherwise, no interference is allowed in
the preparation of ballots, and the vote
must be cast before the voter leaves the
polling place. No electioneering allowed
within fifty feet OF the polling place.
Compartments shall be provided in which
the voter can prepare his ballot
unseen and guard rail so
that no OF Q outside can come within 20
feet Of the compartment. There
shall bs one such compartment for each
50 voters. No voter shall occupy com
partment longer than minutes. Each
political party may have challenger
present. No precincts shall have more
than 300 voters. Placards giving full
directions and the penalty sections of
the law are to be posted IN the booths
and about the polling places. Violation
OF duty by election officers, filing of a
false certificate of nomination., or failure
to indorse or stamp 'otficiar' ballots is
made a felony, punishable by imprison-
ment in the penitentiary not lass than
one year. Destruction of ballots or de-
facing of any list OF candidates posted in
any polling place is punishable by fine
not exceeding 500.