The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-07-18
The N ew Election Law

Tho N ew Election Law
The main featurafof the. new. law Is
the provision for an ,oflicial blaRkes
ballot, containing the party tickets In
parallelsodiamns on e single sheet.
The Wser designates, his coice tT
stamping aerosst,in,a small squaxe
underneath the heading of the tickxs
| If lie wishes to cast straight ballot,
otherwise iAe stampa, cNcsses in small
squares placed opposite the
names of tShe, candidates for whom he
desires tovvpte, and erascs. the names
of those forvr,aom he does not wish to
vote. Spaces are left und1rneath each
name forwritirg in the nane OF any per-
son Lot q acal&lidata upon regular party
ticket. THESE official baliets must be
printed usider the super ision of a
board of eleoEon commissioners, in
each county, oous posed Of the Judge Of
probate, the county clerk snd county
tiO"ouiO<- 'Aho"CApchSc IN uoIuc ny
the couHty. The county cleo is char.
ged with the ,tluiy of distributing the
ballots, wtliiSh are delivers to in
spectors Of .eleeiGn, and not 20 party
committees. Tickets nominated 4 by the
regularly called convention, of any
party will 5eplaesd upon the, ballots,
upon proper ccertifeation of the ract of
nominatior and the names of ths candi-
dates to tise board of election q minis
sioner not lees than $wenty days prior
to election. The booth feature ani the
general arrangement of the polling
place of the lew ,ofltss9, which worked
90 admirably mn the elections of q 800,
,Gre retained Nhe ,sadious metk%l. of
counting prescribed sIn the olds Jaw
.ie superseded. and inspectors are per-
Ialtted to sort the tickets in, e ny
w&nner that will eSpetiite the count.
livery precauhiOn has been takca
to- guard against the snsSeptitious mt-
ing of tickets aSppliet; by outsidese.
Passy organizations Gave nothing
whatever to do with ,the printing
or isxae of the ballots saye to furnish
vignes.es and the names of their
candidates.. The ballots are handled by
sworn officers of the Law 6rox, the time
they ore. printed antilthey are delivered,
one at astime, into the har1s of the
electors. It is made the duty of one
inspector TO place his initials upon the
ballots, anSl no ballot can he deposited
in the box unless so marked by the in
speetor. Tie voter cannot Mocure q |
. lallot except from the:inspeetOrs, and
Le is not permitted to carry ballot
away from the polling place.
He m,ust vote it or return It to
he inapector. Bribery and iaiimida-
ion viii be ext emely difficult under
5l,ese provisions, If not altogether i'm
1t will sequire unusal ilge-
iuity ON the part q the vote-buyer to
yet Tangible evidence of the delivery of
lis goods and without this evidence,
he purchase of votes is waste, ,Sf
money. The peddlinG Of tickets and
,asters is Likewise relegated to oblivion.
.s no ticket can be procured for this
purpose and no pastors are necessary.
Other sections Of the Law provide that
shall he unlawful for candidates or
my other persons TO furnish entertain
nent to electors, to spend money to pro-
ure the attendance of voters at the
'olls, or to contribute money for
ay other than the legitimate expenses
4 the campaign. Candidates and
,ar2y committees are required to file
woE statements Of money expended
n the canvass with certain designated
tate and county officers. BY seprate
Ict the provisions of this law nre made ,
applicable to municipal and township .
lections, and polling precincts are
United to 900 voters each.