The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-29
VOTING BY MACHINERY.

heE UaiIOb laws tudI tue eInpiOynent OF
what is called the Myers Automatic
Ballot Cabinets and the process of vot-
ing therein, by pressing a button and
automatically registering a choice. shall
constitute casting of ballot in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the
ballot reform, or Australian system,
laws.
In the city of Mount Vermont, the other
day, the ballot machine was employed
and 1T worked admirably. Fifteen min
utes after the closing of the polls the
automatically computed returns We're all
in and everybody interested went to bed
arly. Nobody had any kick to make, the
machines made no error, and Mount
Vernon suffragists say they wouldn't
vote in any other way for anything now.
The ballot machine, is simple in de-
vice. 1t consists of "a sheet steel cabinet
five feet square and seven feet high,
which is lighted inside by lamp, gas, or
electricity. The cabinet has two doors,
an entrance and an exit door. After he
has been duly scrutinized by the inspec-
tors of election, the voter is allowed to
enter the booth or cabinet by the en-
trance door. which closes behind him,
automatically locking itself.
lie finds himself confronted with verti-
cal columns in colors, divided into as
many spaces as there are candidates to
be voted for. To the right of each
name is a little knob which he must
press in order to register his vote. Can
didates Of the Democratic party are
printed upon a yellow background,
candidates on the Republican ticket
upon red background, Prohibition
ticket candidates upon a blue back
ground, questions to be voted upon
white background.
The voter presses the knob at the right
OF the name Of the candidate for whom
he wishes TO cast his ballot. and this
vote is inyantly registered in another
compartment of the booth, which, at
the opening Of the polls, has been locked
under seal by the inspectors of election.
All the names of candidates for the
same office are printed in the same line,
so that a vote for one of them, by q
pressure of the knob opposite the
name, locks the knobs opposite the
other names. 80 that they cannot
be used until the voter leaves the box.
The voter, by pressing the knobs in sue
cession as his political allegiance die
tates, votee either a straight or a split
ticket as he desires. He then passes ont
through the exit door, which is immedi- |
ltely and automatically locked behind |
him. The entrance door TO the booth |
will not open until the exit door, which
releases the voter, is closed and locked |
after him.
Repeating is impossible, for as soon as |
man has voted and retired the knobs
are automatically locked so that they
'annot be made to register vote. The
prings which lock up the knobs are not
eleased until the citizen passes through
he second exit door and out into the
'olling place. AS the outer exit door
loses the entrance door opens of itself,
nd the machine is ready for another
otter.
This is quick method of casting a
allot, and the law, therefore, has placed
ne time In which q voter should finish
p his work at one minute. AS soon
5 the polls are closed, the pri-
ate compartment in which the
,gistration of the votes has been going
n is unlocked, and the figures are
opied off and footed up in very few
linutes. The saving of time in the
latter of securing complete and ac-
irate returns can be easily appreciated.
is estimated that, even in densely
opulated districts, returns, which
nder the old system would require
ours of figuring to complete, would
} ready for PRONUNCIATION in very few
inutes.
The machine has capacity for 420 {
Indidates and a blind man can vote
, 10 |