The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-02-11
AUSTRALIAN BALLOT.
EXPLANATION OF SYSTEM BY SEC
.5RETARY OF STATE FESSENDEN.

with Suggestions aud Recommendation
to officials aud Voters Duties of Each
Carefully Explained sample Ballots
and illustrations.
At the coming september election the
Australian or secret ballot system, enacted
law by the last legislature, will be carried
into effect,
Secretary of State Nicholas Fessenden
has carefully prepared pamphlet, descrip-
tive and explanatory Of the requirements
and workings Of the system, for the instruc-
ton of municipal officers, election clerks,
city, town and plantation clerks, aud it Is
OF equal value to voters.
1t is accompanied by illustrations Of the
polling places, showing the proper arrange
ment OF the booths, ballot boxes, guard
rails, places for clerks and other officials,
and sample forms of ballots to be used and
the method of marking them when voting
1t was prepared by Secretary OF State
Fessenden, after a careful examination Of
the system now in use in Massachusetts,
with the hope that tho suggestions, recon-
mendations and Illustrations might prove
helpful in preparing for and carrying out
the new law at the approaching election,
and cannot fail to prove II valuable aid to
every man, whether official or voter, in the
easy and correct performance Of his duties
! at the polls.
! We present below the most important
features of the article, with the blank forms
/ and Illustrations
This law applies to the cities, towns and
| plantations at the annual state elections and
at national elections 1t applies also TO all
municipal elections in cities after Sept. /,
1892; but does not dpplY to municipal cleo
tions i'll towns and plantations ut their an
nual town meetings.
Duties Of Convention Officers.
The law assigns to the officers Of nominal
| ing conventions certain very important
duties, upon the discharge of which is made
to depend the printing Of candidates names
upon the general ballot All such officers,
when chosen in convention must see To 1t
that the proper CetjHcdttS " nomination
and acceptduccs Of caadiddtCS are season.
ably filed with the secretary OF state.
These certificates must be sworn to by the
chairman or secretary of the convention,
and must be filed twenty days, exclusive
of Sundays, before the day of election, or
by Aug 10, 1892
To provide against accidents, delays, or
negligences of senders, and to insure neces-
sary time for printing the ballot, it would
materially aid in putting the law into sue
cessful operation if all nominating conven-
tons should be called and held sufficiently
early to admit of filing these certificates
| Mirty or more days before the day of cleo
| ton.
| Certificates cannot be receiued In any
case later than Aug. ~, 1892.
1t must be remembered that nominating
ConUenti0nS can be held only by parties,
which at the next preceding election Sep
TENDER, 1890 cast per cent. of the entire
vote cast at such election, in the district or
county, for which such convention is to be
held.
| Nomination Papers.
In certain cases candidates may be duly
nominated by papers signed by individual
voters these nomination papers, with the
written acceptance of the candidate, to be
filed the same ~ required in case of the con-
vention certificate before referred to.
| Vacancies.
| Vacancies in nominations are to be filed
as provided in section s, to which the atten-
ton of all convention officers is especially
| invited
| As relates to nominations made in conven-
tons, it may be wise measure for every
nominating convention to elect "a committee,
whose duty it shall be to fill any and all va
cancies occurring after such convention
finally adjourns and before the day of cleo
ton, and whose further duty it shall be to
file with the secretar If state the certificate
called for by this section.
| Necessary blanks for nomination certifi-
/ will hn furDiebaI 70 oil
and district committees after April /, 1892,
by the secretary of state.
Receipts for Ballots.
Ballots will be printed, and sent by the
secretary of state to city, town and planta-
ton clerks, direct, in two sets. One set in
time TO be received bU such clerks serenity
ttOo hours, at least, and the second set
| fortyeiqht hours, Mt least, before the day
Of election.
| With each set or lot will be sent receipt
which must be signed by the clerk receiving
| the ballots and returned to the secretary of
state.
The city, town or plantation clerk, having
received and receipted to the secretary of
state for these ballots, will handle and dis
pose of them on the daD Of election as pro-
vided in section Is, To this section the at
tention of all municipal officers, clerks and
ballot clerks is especially called. You will
notice that but one set at time is to be de-
livered to the election officers and receipts,
| which may be similar to above, must be
| given by the election officers to such city,
town or plantation clerk.
You will also notice that the packages of
ballots must be delivered to the election
| officers with unbrOken Senls-the seals
therein to be publicly broken by the cleo
ton officers twho shall have received and
receipted for such packages) at the opening
of the polls, aud not sooner.
Number of Ballots.
The number Of ballots 50 printed and fur
nished will be at the rate of seventy five for
each fifty voters or fraction of fifty voters
All city, town and plantation clerks must
notify the secretary of state fourteen days
before election and should do so, if possible
thtrtv ddls before election, of the humber
of voters in their city town or plantation
say by Aug. TO-
| Ballot Boxes.
The size of the ballot to be used at the
September election will necessitate the use
of ballot boxes at least 10 by Is inches in
dimension and perhaps boxes of still larger
size may de advantageous.
Loss of Ballots.
In event of loss or failure to receive bal
lots, the municipal officers or clerl. are to
procure other ballots substantially of the
same form as the official ballot to be ban
died and disposed of as provided by tection
10, to which your attention is invited.
Polling Places.
A sufficient space, not less than str feet In
depth in any case, must be rallied or sepa-
rated from therest of the polling place or
wardroom, say Mt one end, or in one corner
thereof, by guard rail" The larger the
number Of voters, and consequently greater
number of voting booths required, the
greater must be the space inside this "guard
rail"-berause inside the rail must be space
enough for election officers, polling and bal
lot clerks ballot box and table, and also
space besides for at least one voter for each
hundicd Of the whole number entitled to
vote at any one polling place, and booths or
voting compartments, as follows
Booths or compartments, somewhat re-
sembling three sides of narrow and not
deep closet, at least one for each hundred
voters, must be provided; each booth to
contain shelf sufficiently wide fora voter to
mark his ballot upon, equipped with mark
ing facilities-pen and ink or pencil. In
each booth must be posted card Of in
structions to voters, also card containing
the last four sections of the law, which will
be supplied by the secretary Of state
These booths or compartments are to be
20 constructed and placed rs to secure the
following objects:
Flrst-That no person can see or know
how any voter marks his ballot.
Second-That each booth, its shelf and