The Portland daily press., 1892-02-10
AUSTRALIAN BALLOT.
Explanation by Secretary Of State
PeSsenden.

With Suggestion 4snd Recommendations
Carefully Explained-sample Ballots
and Illustrations. +
At the coming September election the
Australian or secret ballot system, enacted
a law by the last legislature, will be carried
into effect
Secretary of State Nicholas Fessenden
has carefully prepared a pamphlet, descrlp-
tive and explanatory of the requirements
and workings of the system, for the instruc-
ton of municipal officers, election clerks,
city, town and plantation clerks, and 1t Is
of equal value to voters.
1t is accompanied by illustrations of the
polling places, showing the proper arrange
.ment OF the booths, ballot boxes, guard
rails, places for clerks and other officials,
and sample forms of ballots to be used and
the method of marking them when voting.
1t was prepared by Secretary of State
Fessenden, after a careful examination of
the system now in use in Massachusetts,,
with the hope that the suggestions, recon-
mendations and illustrations might prove
helpful in preparing for and carrying out
and cannot fail to prove valuable aid to
every man, whether official or voter, in the
easy and correct performance of his duties
at the polls.
We present below the most important
features of the article, with the blank forms
and Illustrations.
This law applies to the cities, towns and
plantations at the annual state elections and
at national elections. 1t applies also to all
municipal elections in cities after Sept. /,
1892; but does not apply to municipal cleo
tions in towns and plantations at their an
nual town meetings.
Duties of Convention Officers.
The law assigns to the officers of nominal
ing conventions certain very important
duties, upon the discharge of which is made
to depend the printing of candidates names
upon the general ballot. All such officers,
when chosen in convention, must see to it
that the proper certificates of nomination
and GcceptG1aces of candidates are season
ably filed with the secretary of state.
These certificates must be sworn to by the
chairman or secretary of the convention,
and mast be filed twenty days, exclusive
of Sundays, before the day of election, or
by Aug. 10, 1892
To provide against accidents, delays, or
negligences Of senders, and to insure neces-
sary time for printing the ballot, it would
materially aid in putting the law into sue
cessful operation if all nominating conven-
tions should be called and held sufficiently
early to admit of filing these certificates
ttist,j or more days before the day of cleo
ton.
Certificates cannot be received In any
case later than dug. 49,, 1892.
TT Tnv1Sf he ram ayn bared that nor1iu atinO
conuentions can be held only by parties,
which at the next preceding election Sep
TENDER, 1890 cast per cent. of the entire
vote cast at such election, in the district or
county, for which such convention is to be
held.
Nomination Papers.
In certain cases candidates may be duly
nominated by papers signed by individual
voters, these nomination papers, with the
written acceptance of the candidate, to be
fled the same as required in case of the con-
vention certificate before referred to.
Vacancies.
Vacancies in nominations are to be filed
as provided in section s, to which the atten-
ton of all convention officers is especially
invited.
AS relates to nominations made in conyen-
tons, it may be wise measure for every
nominating convention to elect committee,
whose duty it shall be to fill any and all va
cancies occurring after such convention
finally adjourns and before the day of cleo
ton, and whose further duty it shall be to
file with the secretary Of state the certificate
called for by this section.
Necessary blanks for nomination certif-
Gates VIII be furnished to all convention
and district committees after April /, 1892,
by the secretary OF gtate.
Recaipb for Ballots.
Ballots will be .rinted, and sent by the
secretary of state, to city, town and planta-
ton clerks, direct, in two sets. One set in
time to be received By such clerks serenity
t1Do homTs, at least, and the second set
f0rty-esght hours, at least, before the day
of election.
With each set or lot will be sent receipt
which must be signed by the clerk receiving
the ballots and returned to the secretary of
state.
The city, town or plantation clerk, having
received and reoeipted to the secretary of
state for these ballots will handle and dis
pose of them on the day of election as pro-
vided in section IS. To this section the at
tentaon of an municipal officers, clerks and
ballot CLERKS is especially called. You will
notice that but one set at q time is to be de-
hvered to the election officers, and receipts,
which may be similar to above, must be
given by the election officers to such city,
town or plantation clerk.
You will also notice that the packages of
ballots must be delivered to the election
officers with aSabToken seGls-the seals
therein to be publicly broken by the cleo
ton officers (who shall have received and
receipted for such packages) at the opening
OF the polls, and not sooner.
Number of Ballots.
The number of ballots so printed and fur
nished will be at tho rate of seventy-five for
each fifty voters Or fraction of fifty voters.
All city, town and plantation clerks must
notify the secretary of state fourteen days
before election, and should do So if possible,
thirty days before election, of the number
of voters in their city, town or plantation
say by Aug. TO-
Ballot Boxes.
The size of the ballot to be used at the
September election will necessitate the use
of ballot boxes at least 10 by Is inches In