Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-19
THREE DAYS OtOUNT.
Not Much Time Will Be Require d to
Get Official Figures
ON THE NEW BALLOT SYSTEM.
Election Cficers Must Fast Until Returns
Are Complete.
CHAIRMAN GRIPP ON TIE SUBJECT

The County Commissioners have con-
cluded that it will consume three days to
count the votes cast at the approaching
election under the Baker ballot system,
and that each of the election officers in the
State will likely be entitled to three days
paw for their services
The many peculiar requirements of the
law in regard to counting of ballots and the
unusual amount of work to go through, it
is claimed, will make the work of getting
out the official count not only burdensome,
but will delay the announcement of the
final result in close districts anywhere from
30 to 20 hours after the polls have closed on
election dav.
The Troublesome Law.
Section % of the Baker ballot law, which
provides for counting the votes, says:
After the polls are closed the election
officers only shall remain in the voting
room within the guard rail, and shall there
at once proceed to count the votes. Such
counting shall not be adjourned or post
poned until it shall have been fully COM
pleted. A record shall first be made of the
number of the last ballot cast; the officers
in charge of the voting check list shall, in
the presence of the other officers and watch
ers, count in a distinct and audible voice the
names checked on the said list and announce
the whole number thereof; and the lists of
voters, the stubs of ballots used and all
unused ballots shall then be sealed up as
req required by section Of Of this act S
the judge, the ballots shall be taken
therefrom by the inspector designated by
the judge, and audibly counted, one by one,
by the judge. and when the count is COM
pfeted the whole number of ballots cast
shall be announced, and the counting of the
number of votes received by each person
vote for shall then proceed. All ballots,
after being removed from the box, shall be
kept within the eunobstructed view of those
present in the voting room, but out OF their
reach. until they are placed in the ballot box
as required by law. A full return shall be
made in the manner now provided by law of
all votes cast, and the total vote as soon as
counted shall be publicly announced.
1t shall be the duty OF the police officers,
constables and deputy constables now re-
quired by law to be present at the polls, to
emain within the voting room, but outside
the guard rail, while the votes are being
counted and to preserve order therein. No
person, except the said peace officers, when
necessary for the preservation of the peace,
or persons acting by their authority, for the
same end, shall enter the space within the
guard rail or communicate with any elec-
tion officer in any way after the polls are
closed and until the counting OF the votes
has been completed.
Officers VIII Be Starved.
'That section precludes the possibility of
the election officers getting anything to eat
from the time the polls close until the
votes are counted" Chairman Gripp said
yesterday. THAT may tend to hasten the
work some, as under the old system the
election officers invariably spent an hour
eating supper before they began counting.
Now they must at once proceed to count
the votes after the polls close and no one
is sallowed to communicate with anv off1cer
in any way after the polls are closed That
part of the section prevents meals being
served to the election officers W hile they
are on dutv.
''The County Commissioners may issue
some order to hasten the counting of the
votes In many districts the result will be
known when the voting closes, but it looks
now as though two or three days will be re-
quired to get the official returns.''