The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-04-09
ELECTION LAW.
A New Measure to Govern the Elec-
tions in Ohio.

In Municipalities Having Not Less Than
$500 Inhabitants-Country Precincts
to be Exempt from It's Provisions
Marlting of Ballots Slmplined.
COLUMBUS, o., April 4.-Attorney- Gem
eral Richards, a member of the special
committee on elections of the general
assembly has prepared Il bill embodying
all of the radical changes discussed and
suggestions of his own. Senator j.
| Wilbur Nichols, of Belmont county, will
introduce it Monday should the oppor-
tun;ty offer itself.
In the first place, the new bill, instead
of being general and sweeping in its
provisions and thereby making uncon-
stitutional such parts of it as applied to
the appointment of county boards and
elections in the country precints, strikes
out all the first section of the old Aus"
tralian ballot law. In place thereof 1T
provides that thereafter the gem
eral November election for public Off
GERS in this state, and the annual April
election for public officers in all munich
palities which at the last Federal census
had population of not less than $500
and are divided into wards and the sub
mission of all questions to be voted at
the general November election and in
such municipalities at the annual April
election shall be conducted according to
the provisions of this act and existing
laws not inconsistent Herewith, and all
other elections shall be exempt from
the operations of the special provisions
of this act, but shall be conducted as re-
quired by law"
This eXcmpts from the operation OF
the new election law all country pre-
cincts and all villages and towns having
less than $500 which are not divided
into wards. At the voting precincts in
all such PLACES the old law in force
prior to the passage of the Australian
bill last year remains in force, and cleo
tions will at all times be conducted un-
der its provisions The remainder OF
the bill is radically changed and re-
vised both in phraseology and in de
tail from the Kangaroo bill passed last
winter The intention, however, of the
new bill remains the same as was the
intention of the old-that this, tc
secure, first, a secret; second, a fair
and lastly, free vote. Among some
of the more important changes are the
following: Instead of the small in
vcrted brass rule used in last years
blanket ballot the present bill pro
vidcs for large black lines, to be moi
less than one-eighth of an inch il
width, between each party ticket.
1t also provides for large square sur
rounded by black lines in which is tc
be placed the cross mark for straight
ticket 1t makes further provision fol
the manner of marking SO that no pos
sible mistake on the part of the judge
or error on the part of their judgemen
may occur in counting the ballots
AS before, each straight ticket is desig
mated with cross in the large blacl
square at the top of the ticket
Scratched tickets, however, must bC
marked without the cross at tn,
top, but with cross befolr
each name for which the electo
wishes to vote, with the additional pro
vision 'that he may mslSe a cross-marl
before the name of the party who's,
, candidates for the most part he desire
to vote for, and then make a cross-marl
before the name of any candidate o
any other party for whom he may desir
to vote" But here comes the strongcs
and most explicit part of the new law
1t says: "If the clector desires to vote
straight ticket, or, in other words, TO
each and every candidate of one party
, he shall make Il cross-mark ol
the left of the name of tn
party at the head of the ticket in tn
blank space defined by heavy lines pro
vided therefor; or he shall make
cross-marlI on the left of the name o
each and every candidate on the tickle
in the blank space provided therefor
provided, however land here is an i'm
i portant fcature), if Il cross-mark is mad
: at the left of the name at the head O
!, the ticket, and also one or NOR
cross-marks made before the name O
names of candidates on the same ticket
the marks before the names of cand
, dates shall be treated as surplusage an
. ignored, and the ballot shall be counte
! for all the candidates on the ticket thu
, marked"