The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-26
BALLOT REFORM LAW
A Change Proposed by the Re-
publican Members Of the
Legislature.

Specldtt to the Jersey City Neits.
TRENTON, December 20, 1S93.-The
Newark Republicans have held several CON
f~erences at which they discussed proposed
changes in the Ballot Reform law. The plan
that they favor is as follows:
The proposed law grants to the non-par-
tisan county boards of registry control of
the elections, and provides for a blanket
ballot" on which the names of all the candi-
dates will be printed in party groups, under
a party name. Directly under the party
name it is proposed to print a circle, in
which the voter desiring to vote a party
ticket shall place a cross. Circles would
also be placed opposite the name of each
candidate, and a person desiring to vote a
split ticket would indicate the candidates he
voted for by placing a cross opposite their
names. 1t is proposed to vest the election
powers now enjoyed by the city and county
clerks in the boards of registry, the four
members of which are to be appointed by
the Governor on the recommendation of the
chaiImen of the county committees, through
the chairmen of the State committees of
the two parties having the largest number
of votes.
PRINTING OF TICKETS
1t is also proposed that these boards shall
have charge of the printing and distribution
vi biShCUO1 VI u6SlSldl1IlG DOll1llg NDIdCtS
(which are not to be within one hundred
feet of a saloon) have power to appoint cleo
ton officers, poll clerks and challengers,
when recommended by the chairmen of the
County Committees, and after persons seek
ing those officers shall nave made written
application, they shall appear before the
Board OF Examination as to their quallfca-
lions and fitness. TIL Boards of Registry
may remove any election officer for cause;
Shall receive the ballot box and returns on
the night of election; make the official
canvass within twenty-four hours after the
election, II shall make a recount when de-
manded by any defeated candidate who has
deposited in the hands of the board a guar
antee fund of $3.50 to cover the cost of a re
count in a ward; $500 in a city, or $3.50 in a
county, the balance, if any, to be returned to
the defeated candidate, if defeated Oh the re-
count, and the whole to be returned in case
it is shown that he was elected.
1t is further provided that any question as
to the validity of a ballot shall be certified to
the presiding Justice of the Supreme Court
for the judicial district, who must rende his
decision within ten days of the date of certi-
fication. Application for a recount must be
made within five days after election.
REGISTRATION.
Registration is to be in person or upon
affidavit of a qualified voter of the district,
showing that the person he registers is
either sick or absent from home. 1t is pro-
vided that the last day of registration shall
be at least thirty days before election, and
that the house to house canvas now made
before election shall be made after the last
day of registration, for the purpose of con-
firming the lists.
Copies of the lists are to b. posted through
out the district on the day following the last
day of the registration, and filed with cou
ty boards of registry for public examination.
No names are to be added to the lists by the
courts.
Other provisions are that no person, unless
he desires to register, shall loiter within one
| hundred feet of the registry boards on days
of registration; that the Republican mem
bers of the county boards of registry and
the Democratic members, unknown to each
other, shall appoint a Waterman for each
election district, who shall receive his Gre
dentials IN election day and present himself
at his designated polling place when the
polls close; he shall be provided with a tally
sheet, on which he shall record the votes as
counted, and shall return the tally sheet to
the county board of registry Immediately
after the completion of the count; that
the election officers shall return the
ballot boxes to the Office of the county
| board Immediately after the count, and that
they shall be guarded by police officers or
deputy sberiffs until the box is deposited with
that board; that pastors shall not be used
that official ballots shall not be distributed
outside of polling places; that all ballots
shall be printed in book form, with stubs
attached, and the name and address Of voters
receiving a ballot shall be placed on the stub
from which the ballot is detached. The
voter is not to have more than one ballot at
a time, but may have a second ballot if he
spoils the first and returns it to the election
board; no voter shall he permitted to leave q
polling place with an official ballot in his
possession.
This plan will be considered at length
hereafter by the members OF the Legislature,
and it is supposed that that the lawyers of
the State Committee will devote a long time
to the subject. No conclusion is likely to be
reached until well on in the session.