The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-05-22
No Scratching is Required
This Year.
VOTERS READ CAREFULLY
A Couple of Sections of the
New Election Law.

A good deal Of inquiry is made these
days as to how the voting at the June
polls will be conducted. Voters who
thought the ballot given them two years
ago waB large will have something to
kick about in the shape of size this time
because OF the addition Of new tickets and
q large number of candidates for each
Office in the county and district.
Electors this year will not be required
to scratch several hundred names of
candidates that they do not want to vote
for. This was the bother last election,
as it took voter long time to select his
candidate under each Office and scratch
out the names of the others It made
the tickets look as il they had been half
mutilated. The difference now Is that
the eector puts a mark opposite the
name OF the man he does vote for, and
that 10 all that is required Of him.
II he votes mixed ticket all that is
necessary to do Is to place mark imme.
diately to the left OF the candidate he
desires to be elected. The Oregon Aus
tralian ballot law has been called a mis-
nomer, and so II is. Until it is changed
to include all the provisions OF the Aus
tralian system, as it should be, 1t is far
from being satisfactory or right.
Following are extracts f,om the law in
regard to voting:
Section 30. On receipt OF bis white
ballot as aforesaid, the elector shall
forthwith and without leaving the in.
closed space, retire alone 10 one of the
compartments or places provided, and
! there prepare his ballot by marking inn
mediately to the left OF the name Of the
candidate he wishes to vote for and, in
case OF constitutional amendment or
other question submitted to the vote Of
the people, by marking to the left OF the
answer he desires to make, which shall
be done with an indelible Copying"
pencil, or with pen and inB. Before
leaving the compartment, or place pro-
vided, the eleCtor shall fold his ballot SO
that the face thereof shall be concealed,
without displaying the ballot or inform
ing any perlon how he has prepared it;
and he shall fold the ballot 30 that the
remaining stub may be torn off without
exposing the contents OF the ballot or the
marks or crosses thereon. He shall
ther deliver the ballot to the chairman,
and state bis name and residence.
=taSS0Ou Ous any OtCObOA WIZ uOClhtbb
TO the chairman that he cannot read or
write, or that by blindness, or other
physical disability, that he is unable to
prepare his ballot, SHALL upon request,
receive the assistance OF two OF the judges
in the preparation thereof, and such off,
GERS shall ascertain bis wishes and pre-
pals his ballot in accordance Herewith,
ard such officers shall thereafter give no
information regarding the same. The
chairman may, In his discretion, request
such declaration OF disability to be made
by the elector under oath. Whenever
an elector receives assistance In this
manner, the second clerk shall write
npoa the pollbook, opposite the name OF
the elector, the word Assisted" and II
sworn, also Sworn" In preparing biz
ballot, any elector shall be at liberty to
use or copy any colored or sample ballot
provided by this act which he may
choose to mark or to have had marked in
advance, to assist him in marking the
official ballot
In regard to penalties for violations OF
the election laws, section 81 says fine
Of from $50 to 5000 shall be imposed for
misconduct on the part Of the voter. For
conviction Of misconduct on the part of
the officers conducting the polls imprison-
ment from three months to one year or q
fine of from $50 to $500--or both, in the
discretion Of the court--is the penalty.
A penalty Of from one TO three years in
tho penitentisry or fine Of from $500 to