Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-10-13

A New Model FOR an Official Ballot
Tie attention of the legislators al Mont
pelier and OF our readers III general is d-
rected to a model suggested for an Official
ballot for Vermont, Il partial plan OF which
appears in our columns this morning. We
are confident the: this model i. well adapted
to the nsads OF our State aud we submit it
with tue hope that it will he of some as
sistance to the members Of the Legislature
who are about to consider the necessary
modification of Vermont's ballot system as
it stands at present.
The general arrangement of this plan ia
similar to that Of ths Maine ballot, which
also has the nominations Of each party in
separate columns 1t differs frcm the
Maine ballot in two important particulars,
however. In the Maine ballot the square to
be marked when u straight ticket is voted is
ut the right of the name of the party and
directly over md in line with the square et
the right OF the names Of the candidates I'M
derneath, so TINT few voters might not
readily distinguish between the two and
mark all OF thenk In The model here sub
mitted the square is directly over the name
other lines on the ticket SO that the danger
CT mistake in marking is reduced to
minimum. In the Maine ticket lines separ-
ating the names extend the entire width of
the baIlot-an arrangement that intimately
connects all tho nominations OF the various
parties and one that is likely to confuse the
voter. In the model here submitted there is
All open space between the columns of names,
30 that each party ticket stands out by it
self plainly and distinctly.
Each party ticket is also designated on
this ballot by an emblem in accordance with
the suggestion made in Gov Pages vale
dictory message This will enable even an
illterGte person to distinguish the ticket of
his party. Some one has suggested that the
nominations might be printed in different
colors, but the adoption of this suggestion
would make 1T desirable for the party man
ayers to apply the railroad test for color
blindness to their illiterate followers. The
emblem is the most simple method of dis
tinguishing tho parties and it will undoubt-
eddy be found the most satisfactory.
1t seems to us therefore that the merits Of
this model ought to commend themselves.
The arrangement is simple Each party
ticket is so designated that even an illiterato
person possessed of good eye sight aud en-
dowol with common sense ought to ex-
| perience no difficulty in preparing his ballot.
! 1t IS easy to mark, especially if the suifragist
wishes to vote his party ticket straight as is
tho case in at least nine cases of ten And
| finally it will OBJECT an immense saving in
| Al
estimated by City Clerk Charles f.. Allen
Of this city that tho use of a ballot Of the
character hero presented will effect saw.
ing of from % to 80 per cent in tho time re-
quired for counting the ballot in detail, as
was done AT the last election, beside greatly
facilitating the work Of III. voter aud pre-
venting innumerable errors in marking.
The use of this ballot would make it an
! easy matter to carry out the provisions of
the bill relating TO tho ballot law prepared
! by Senator Foster of this city, which was
introduced by him Monday, and some OF
its features are similar to those contenplat-
! ed in his bill. The use of an emblem over
each party ticket will make IL unnecessary
| for an ilterate voter to have an assistant
| in the marking of his ballot, except in case
! Of physical disability like blindness, and
! Senator Fosters bill provides for two as
sistants in such cases, one assistant 70 be u