Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-04-12
NOT MARKED RIGHT.
Many Ballots Improperly Marked and
Counted at the Late Election as to
Town Officers


Counted at the Late Election as to
Town Omcers.
If there was any evidence wanting
to prove that the Australian election
law now in force in this state is not
yet thoroughly understood by the
voting population, it was furnished
by the election held in Rock Island
on April 4. Not only were the bal
lots improperly marked but illegally
counted by the judges.
Township Omcers only Affected.
The irregularity, however, only
applies to candidates where two or
more persons were to be elected to
the same office on the township tick
ct, namely: supervisor, justice of the
peace and constable. AS far as the
observations of THE ARGUS went it
was noticed that when voter
scratched" his ticket on one of the
above offices. he simply put a cross
at the head of his party ticket and
one before the name of the person on
the opposite ticket he pan ticularly de-
sired'to vote for. For instance: A dem
ocrat desiring to vote his entire ticket
with the exception of David Halves
for justice of the peace, put an X be-
fore the word democratic" and
another before MIR. Halves name.
The judges in counting ticket so
marked gave vote for every name
| on the democratic ticket, except that
opposite Halves, the latter also being
given vote.
Here's the Rub.
The name opposite that of Halves
| happened to be that of Peter Schlen-
| mer, and therefore the latter was de-
| prived of vote. The question now
arises which democrat did the voter
| desire to scratch" Schlemmer or
Baldwin, He plainly indicated
which republican he desired to vote
for of course, but not the democrat.
| Under strict construction of the
law the ballot could not be counted
for any candidate for Justice of the
| peace, and the same ruling would APP
| ply to the candidates for supervisors
and constables in case the scratching
was on either of these offices.
Secretary of State Hinrichsen's
| pamphlet of instruction on the Aus
tralian system of voting says:
| If the ballot contains a cross in the
| circle at the head of the democratic
| column. and n cross in the square op-
| poSite the name of one of the repub-
hcan candidates for presidential cleo
| tors, the ballot should be counted for
| all of the democratic candidates, eX-
| cept the electors, none of whom
| should be given vote, nor should
| any of the republican candidates for
| elector be given vote, for there is 4
! doubt as to the intention of the voter.
While he may have indicated his
! wish to vote for one of the republican
| candidates for elector, he has not in
dictated which of the democratic can
didates for elector he did not wish to
vote for. Under section 90 of the law.
the vote for electors should not be
| counted.
In like manner if ballot be so
marked as regards candidate for
congressman at large, trustee of the
Illinois university or member of the
house of representatives, it should
not be counted for any of the candi
| dates for the office so marked. These
candidates are running for offices to
which two or more persons are to be
| elected, and the voter desiring to
vote for any such candidate not on
HIS ONh maj n he
ballot according to the third method
| in instruction to Voters. That is,
| put no cross in the circle, but put
cross in the square opposite the name
| of each candidate he wishes to vote
| for.
should Mark Every Square.
From the above it is very clear
that to have voted for candidate
for assistant supervisor. justice of
| the peace or constable on other than
straight" ticket, it was necessary
to mark n square before the name of
every candidate for whom you may
have wished to vote. This may have
been done in isolated cases, but it
was not the general rule observed at
the late election. OF course it is not
probable that the result would have
been different, if all the ballots
wrongfully marked had been thrown
out on such offices. but there is no
question that an intelligent under
standing by voters would have re-
suited in the election of a democratic
supervisor, justice of the peace and