Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-18
LATE ILLINOIS LAWS.
Those Passed by the Recent Legis.
lature.
The Enuctm mt PROVIDING for Ballet
RefJrm-A General Summary
CT the other Laws

journed. Now the question is, what did
that body dor 1t really did considerable.
The session just closed was enc of the
longest in the history of the state, owing
chiefly to the senatorial contest at the
first of it. After the legislature got down
to business it succeeded in accomplishing
some much needed good. And as legis-
lature is kind of necessary evil that
must be tolerated, the state is none the
worse off. all things considered, bv reason
of the one whose session has Just ex.
pred. As to the work accomplished, it
is seen that nearly every interest in the
state received some kind of legislation.
Undoubtedly the most far-reaching
measure enacted was the
AUSTRALIAN BALLOT BILL.
1t provides that a candidate must re-
ceive regular nomination by political
party which polled at least two per cent of
the entire vote atthe last preceding election
or by nomination papers. In such case
the certificates of nomination are duly au>
thenticated and given to the officer whose
duty tits to printthe ballots. Due provision
is made for independent candidates get>
ting their names upon the ticket by the
nomination paper. The ballots are to be
printed on state and county elections by
the county clerk, and in the city elections
by the city clerk, and in the township
elections by the township clerk. In
Chicago the printing of them will be at
tended to by the board of election COM
missioners, as special exception is made
in that case. The names of al the
candidates of the different parties must
be placed upon one ballot. Very heavy
penalties are provided IN case the officer
whose duty it is to print the ballots is
guilty of any fraud or irregularity. Due
provision is made for voting for members
of the legislature. All the ballots ara
distributed by the officers whose duty it
is to print them, and penalty Is imposed
in case Of any laxity in distributing them.
No ballots can be obtained bv any one
excep. those which are legally printed
and bear the signature OF the proper Off
Ger; and the ballots are given only to the
judges of elections, who are compelled
under penalty To account for every BAL
lot received from the officer who has
them printed, whether saved, voted, de-
stroyed or mutilated; 8 complete chick is
kept upon all ballots. The voter caa
only obtain his ticket after entering the
voting room and from the proper officer
under the law. This ballot he tske and
retires to an apartment, which is in sight
of the judges, and prepares it; returns
snd places it in the hands of the Judge,
who deposits il in the ballot box. At the
head OF each list of candidates there will
be party name or some other words to
designate the political party. The tick
ct will be almost identical with the Indi-
ana blanket ballot The off,
Gers who have the ballots printed
will also have furnished full cards
of instruction to the voters, which will
give them ample information as to the
voting and the other requirements of the
Law. 10 each Of the rooms in which the
election is held there will be furnished
small booths or apartments in which the
voter must secretely and alone prepare
his ballot. No one can be in the room
where the voting takes place excep. three
| or four persons who may be waiting their
turn to enter voting booth. No cleo.
pioneering is allowed within 100 feet of
the polls, and no person is allowed with
in that space. Ole voting booth will be
! furnished to e3ch fifty voters if necessary,
so that there will be no crowding and no
one will be deprived of vote. Due care
Is taken in the bill 10 provide for any per
| son who is unable to read. so that his
ticket may be made out AMI his vote FREE
| main IA secret.
The bill provides that every person
shall be allowed two hours in which TO
attend the election aud vote, and no de.
ductiou from his wages is to be made on
account of his absence for that length of
time. The ballots will be preserved for
six months, carefully folded, and strung
upon wire, which is tied and sealed
The ballots will not be mum bered, aud it
is thought it will be posi- bic to ascer-
tain how an elector voted, even if the
ballots should be inspected by the county
or city clerk In the country the time
of opening the polls is changed to :
O'Clock, and the time of closing to 5
O'Clock. The Chicago law in that re-
spect remains as it now is. 1t is pro.
vided in the bill that this law shall be
printed in at least two papers in each
county of the state, aud it is thought the