The record-union., 1892-03-03
HOW TO USE THE OFFICIAL BAL
LOT TUESDAY NEXT.

The sample official ballots to be used at
the city election next Tuesday are out,
and every voter on application to the City
Auditor is entitled to one copy. But
many other copies have been issued, and
no voter need experience any difficulty
IN obtaining sample ballot. He can
take it to his home, give it six days
study if he wishes, though two minutes
is enough for average intelligence, and
come to the polls prepared to mark and
vote his ballot in one minute by the
watch.
All the wild and silly twitter about the
intricaeies of the law, and the difficulty
of understanding it, and the serious
puzzle the official ballot is to the voter, is
simply insulting to common intelligence.
Now let us see how plain and simple is
the process for next Tuesday.
The voter ascertains his register num-
Der as of old, steps up to the ballot clerk
and announces it and his name and resi-
dence. He is at once handed an official
ballot. 1t is precisely like the sample
ballot he has had at home for week, ex-
cept that it bears number on the back.
He now enters booth, where he finds
shelf, rubber stamp, an ink pad and
writing material. He wishes to vote for
A for Trustee; he takes up the stamp,
inks it and presses it on the ballot in the
square opposite AS name, which is but
one of five before him in big, bold type.
Or, if he wishes to vote for some other
than one of the five he finds named, he
takes the writing material, pen and ink
or pencil, and writes in the blank left at
the foot of the list of would-be Trustees
the name of his fayorite. He need not
stamp this name, as writing it signifies
his desire as clearly, says the law
Either of these processes he repeats for
Chief of Police, City Attorney and Fire
Commissioner. He then folds his ballot
in the middle, end to end; then once
more, end to end, and once again, and
then for the fourth time, leaving it mar.
appearing on the outside loose end. With
this ballot he goes to the ballot-box, de-
posits his vote and walks out.
That is the whole process of voting by
name under this intricate, brain-rack-
ing and understandable SYSTEM Is
there any man in Sacramento so stupid
as to be willing to be classed among those
who cannot understand the system? 1t is
less intricate than making time card or
filing bill for labor or goods, or taking
or giving a receipt, and infinitely easier
than handling half a dozen ballots. as
under the old system, and ascertaining
which one containes the names of ones
favorite candidates.
But there is another method of voting
under the new law, simpler still. That
is, if an elector when he arrives in the
booth wishes to vote for all the eandi-
dates of party; that is, wishes to vote
straight" he presses the stamp oppo-
site the name of the party of his choice
in one Of the three squares clearly desig-
mated at the head of the ballot He must
then at once fold his ballot and make no
other marking upon it. If he does his
ballot viii be cast out, because the Re-
turning Board cannot determine whether
he intends to vote straight or dividedly,
If the ticket is marked both ways.
So the voter has only to remember
these four things, and he who cannot do
so is too stupid to be a good citizen and
should not be permitted to vote:
First. Use only the rubber stamp in
marking the ballot; mark with pen or
pencil viii not count.
Second. If you stamp the ballot
straight" that is, for party ticket, you
must not stamp opposite any candidates
name, or write in any name. If you do.
you lose your vote. If you stamp oppo-
site names, do not stamp the ballot
straight" also; if you do you will lose
your vote.
Third. You may write the name of
any one you wish to vote for tif it is not
on the printed LIST in the blank space at
the foot of each hst-this may be done
with pen or with pencil.
Fourth. Fold your ballot end to end
four times, so as to leave the number on
the loose end of the back outermost.
If we are to be guided in judgment by
the experience of political history of the