Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-12
THE NEW VOTING SYSTEM.

The expression Of opinion in favor OF
the new system OF voting is universal.
1t has accomplished the object go greatly
desired, of entire secrecy of the ballot,
and has made it impossible to corrupt
elections as they undoubtedly have been
too often corrupted in the past. The
vote-buyers will not continue their me-
iarious practices as long as they can
have no assurances that the votes they
purchase will be cast as agreed to. And
this assurance is impossible under the
new voting system. The scandals that
formerly attached to elections in this
city--and for that matter, nearly every
where-can no longer happen. The
scenes that were formerly OF frequent
occurrence here on election days, OF cor
railing large numbers of "floaters" in
rooms or lofts to sell their votes to can
didates in lump, can never be repeated.
The Australian system puts permanent
ouietus upon this kind of public out
rage. A system that accomplishes such
a result, no matter what minor defects
it may develop in the start, is one that
the people will not let go for trivial
reasons.
What should be done by the next
legislature is to make such improve
ments in the law as it's practical work.
ing has shown to be necessary and pos
sible. The very first amendment that
ought to be made is one that will ex-
pedite the count. There is no reason
whatever that the vote should not be
counted as the election goes on. In New
York they have extra ballot boxes, and
every hour the one in use is handed over
to board of counters, whilst the ballot
ing proceeds with a new box. By this
means the counting keeps pace. within
a short distance, OF the voting. In less
than an hour after the polls close the
result at each precinct is known. This
plan could be adopted here with good
results. There is no sense in keeping
the public in doubt and suspense for "a
or 4s hours after the polls have closed,
when the result of an election can be
accurately ascertained in less than an
hour after voting has ceased.
The law should also make it obliga-
tory, under penalty, for officers OF
election to give an abstract of the vote
of precinct upon The official envelope.
This is now required as an act OF cour-
tesy, but we have eeen that year after
year official returns are sealed and sent
to the county clerk without any outward
record Of the vote that has been cast.
In close elections the people have to
wait ten days, until the official returns
are opened, before they can know def
nitely what has been the result. This
has occurred in Los Angeles county q
number of times, and as the officers of
several precincts at the last election
failed to fill the blanks on the envelopes,
the necessity of amending the law as
suggested is apparent.
There is another defect in the law
which calls for remedial legislation. At
some of the polling places in this city
the line stretched out 30 long that it be-
came an absolute hardship for citizens
to spend so great an amount OF time to
reach the ballot box as was required. In
come instances the fault was in the
failure to provide enough booths to meet
the wants of the voters. In others the
cause was the failure of the supervisors
to make two or more precincts in locali-
ties where they knew that one would re-
suit in a congestion of voters. This
hardship seems to have been particu-
larly conspicuous in San Francisco and
in some wards in this city. the maxi
mum of registered voters allowed TO a
precinct should be put at 200, and the
law should provide for at least one booth
for every 80 registered voters.
But none of these defects touch the
main principle of the law, which is a
wholesome one and in the interest of
honest elections. The Australian ballot
system has come to stav.