People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-02-10
Tie u. S. BalIOt.BOX.

The ballot box spoken of in our last
issue is described as follows, and in
vented by John Blocker, of Franklin
Grove, III. Hon. J. NJ. Doubleday
says it will positively do all that is
claimed for it, and if so is the very
thing to shut out Republican repeat
ers and ballot box suffers:
This ballot box is mySteriOuSly SIM
pie: will last for ages: always be in
good working order and will save the
taxpayers thousands of dollars in
election expenses.
1t prevents frauds. ballot box stuff
ing and false returns; inSureS secret
ballot to every voter: keeps account
of the number of persons who vote;
debarS the election officers from
throwing out the ballot of any legal
voter and separates and counts the
ballots as fast as they are dropped
into the box, so that the election
Judges can announce within minute
after the polls are closed, the exact
number of votes that each candidate
received.
The manner of voting is very sim
pie. The voter does not need to hide
himself in booth in order to prevent
Others from knowing how he voted,
but with his own hand he places his
vote in the ballot box in the presence
Of judges, clerks, challengers and BY
ISLANDERS, and not one of them can
ever ascertain which ticket or what
candidates he voted for, no matter
how closely they have watched him.
10 assistants are required TO help the
blind or illiterate to mark his ballot,
as Is necessary under the Australian
system, for the U. S. ballot box is so
constructed that the blind can vote
by sense OF touch and the iiiterate
by the sense Of sight.
The voter, after being recognized
by the judges Of election as a legal
elector of the precinct, is furnished
by them with metal ballots about the
size and thickness Of a penny, and
permitted to step up to the ballot box.
On the lid Of the box he finds printed
in large type these words: "Place a
ballot in the slot under the name OF
each candidate you wish to vote for. ="
These words explain to him the whole
process Of voting, and enable him TO
vote quickly and intelligently, with.
out asking any questions. He sees at
glance that he can vote the straight
Republican, Democratic, POrulist,
Prohibition or any other party ticket
that has been put in nomination; or
mixed ticket Of his own selection
from the different party nominees.
He finds also that he cannot make
the mistake Of voting for two candi-
dates for the same office and thus lose
their vote as under the Australian
system, for the U. S. ballot box is so
constructed that the instant the vo-
ter casts ballot for the nominee of
one party he is barred by the mechan-
ism Of the box from voting for the
nominee of any other party for the
same office; but should voter through
careleSsnesS or haste, vote for any
candidate he did not intend to vote
for, he can, before leaving the box,
correct any mistake he may have
made. The voter cannot put more
ballots in the box than there are Off
GERS to be elected, nor more than one
vote for any candidate, no matter
how hard he may try to vote a double
header for some particular candidate
or party. In states in which minor
ity representation has been adopted,
the voter can cast half whole,
double or triple ballot for candidate,
as the laws of the state may pro-
vide.
As soon as the voter has deposited
his ballot. an alarm bell concealed
within the box gives notice that the
vote has been cast and that the box
is ready for the next voter, and at the
same instant counting machine at
tached TO the outside of the box, in
full view of the election officers. shows
in plain figures how many persons
have voted up to the last ringing of
the bell. BY this arrangement the
number of ballots found in the box
at the close Of the polls, will exactly
agree with the number shown by the
counting machine, so that no ballots
will need to be drawn from the box
and destroyed for the purpose of cler-
ical errors. Those who vote straight
party ticket can vote at the rate of a
thousand an hour, while those who
vote a mixed ticket will require about
one second of time for each candidate
they vote for.
The inventor of this time, labor and
money saving ballot box has served
either as Judge or clerk at every ma
tional, state, district, county and mu-
nicipal election heldin his voting pre-.
cinct since 1864, and the benefit of his
long experience in conducting elec-
tiOns is shown in the valuable features
of the US. ballot box.