Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-04-27
WEDNESDAY. April ~, 1892
Truly secret Ballot.

free, the voter DE JnOfougnly pro-
tected, fraud rendered impossible ?
An affirmative answer comes from
Lockport, N. Y, where was made
last Tuesday week the first legalized
test Of the Myers voting machine.
That election decided between three
parties, Democratic, Republican
and Prohibitionlst, each having
twenty candidates, there being in
all sixty nominations, besides two
separate questions for aud against
appropriation to be voted on. The
average time each voter was in the
booth was twenty seconds. One vo-
ter cast his ballot in eight seconds.
The cost of the election was five
cents per voter; under the election
preceding, which was under the
Australian system, the cost was
31.12 per voter. No vote was lost.
No irregularities occurred. People
who had never before voted without
assistance voted on this occasion un-
aided. The results of the election
were disclosed instantly and the
vote of the sixty-four candidates
was declared within ten minutes af-
ter the close Of the poll.
The use of the machine was le-
galizel by the New York State
Legislature at the present session,
Lockport's town election was the
first held after the bill received the
Governors signature. Previous to
that. however, the machine had been
on exhibition, and 1921 mock
voters had tried it. During this
time of trial 1t has never been out
of working order.
The machine is made of iron and
steel, and is in two partments.
The voters compartment, 4x5 feet
has three doors, one for entrance
and two interlocking doors for exit
through vestibule. 1t separated
from the registering or secret coun.
ter compartment, 1x5 feet, by sol
id ! inch steel partition. The in
yentor, Mr.. j. Ii. Myers, President
OF the Myers American Ballot Ma
chine Company, of Rochester, N.
Y, is the inventor of the famous
modern screw burglar-7roof vaults
is connected with the Mosler Bank
Safe Company.
The voter enters the compart-
ment and sees before him as many
perpendicular rows of nickel knobs
rs there are tickets. To the left of
each knob, upon colored ballot,
in black letters, and with a hand
pointing to the knob he sees the
name of candidate, also the office
for which he is running. He has
been informed before entering that
the Democratic coo is yellow, let
us say, the Republican, red, and The
Prohibitiouist blue. If be votes
straight ticket he simply presses in
each knob down the column de-
voted 10 his party. Otherwise be
presses the knobs opposite the
names of the candidates of his
choice. When he presses one, that
registers one vote (for the candidate
whose name is to the left of the
knob upon the automatic register
behind the steel partition. which is
protected by outside doors locked
aud sealed in the presence of the in
spectors and citiz ms before the vo-
ting began.
After pushing in his share of
the knobs the voter posses through
the vestihule door, which closes be-
hind him. Then he comes cut
through the exit door, which releases
the knobs he has pushed in. All
the doors open one way only. No
voter can return after passing
through the partition door and re-
peat. An automatic register on the
outside of the booth tells how may
men have vo ed. A clock tells ex-
reilly how long each man has b,en
in, so that if he exceeds the legal
time allowed him the officers can en-
ter aud eject him. When inside he
has the booth entirely to himself,
but the apparatus is so strong that
he cannot injure it, even with tools,
without making so much noise as
to attract the attention of The insp,e
tors. The machine does its own