The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-29

The election machinery under the
new Australian ballot law is a COM
plicated piece of political mechanism
The changes as compared with the old
law are, in the majority Of instances,
radical and there is such multiplicity
of provisions in the new law as 10
call out all the study the board Of
county commissioners can devote from
now on until election time, in order 10
have everything in running order from
the time the registration of voters
commences until the final returns or
the result have been made 10 the sec
rotary Of state.
Al Reese is probably the busiest
man in the joint building these days.
Al. is the real head Of the clerks Of
fee, and upon him devolves the duty
of getting the ballot boxes and every
thing in the way of blanks for oaths,
certificates and various other requisites
in readiness. Most Of the blanks have
already been printed. The stationery
required by the registration agents is
ready to be sent out, so that when the
registration begins in about two weeks
there will be no delay. The old ballot
boxes are to be used and a man is now
engaged in repairing the locks. Each
box is being numbered, so that every
every year.
About the first matter that will now
engage the attention Of the commits
siouers will be the appointment or
judges of election. The law provides
that this shall be done during the
first week of the session of the board,
which commences on the first Monday
in September Of each year" The num-
Der of judges to be appointed is three,
as under the old law, two Of whom
must be Of opposite political parties.
There is not likely to be much banker
ing after places on the election boards
this year, for the law states in very
plain words that all judges and clerks
of election shall serve without compen-
sation.
Undoubtedly this last provision &C
counts for the failure Of political or
CARNATIONS to send the clerk a list of
electors from which judges may be
selected. 1t is designated that on or
before the last day of August any
political party or committee thereof
may file with the clerk of the board
of county commissioners list of six
or more persons in each election pre-
cinct, from which appointments shall
be made. The list must be certified
to by an officer of the political party
in whose behalf the list is submitted.
SO far no lists have been filed with the
clerk, and it looks very much as if
the board will be entirely free to Sc
lect whom they please. All vacancies
occurring before the day of election
must be filled by the board. In case,
however, on the morning of election
any Of the regularly appointed judges
fail to show up, the vacancy may be
filed by the qualified electors present.
After making all the above provis-
ions the section concludes: IF any
board Of county commissioners fail to
comply with the provisions of this sec
ton, each and every member thereof
shall be guilty of misdemeanor, and
shall be punished by a fine Of not less
than ten nor more than one hundred
dollars for every offense, and the neg
lect and failure TO designate any one
judge properly suggested in accord
ance herewith shall be separate Of
Tense"
The contract for the election booths
will probably be closed in few days.
While the bid of the Buffalo Steel
House company vas made on the basis
of 575 booths and the board only adj
vertised for bids on 275, it is thought
that the proposition viii be accepted
and Geographic advices to that effect
is expected every day.
1t would seem that $50 booths would
be inadequate. The law says the num-
Der of voting booths or compartments
shall not be less than one for every
fifty voters in the precinct. There are
eighty-seven precincts in the county,
and these under the law, were appor-
toned TO contain 800 qualified voters
each. Some of them contain more than
500 qualified electors. but taking those
figures as a basis over 500 booths
would be required in order to fill the re-
uuirements of the general election act.
The registration of voters is much
the same as under the old act. Each
registration agent must make a house
to house canvass for the purpose of
registering all qualified voters. This
work during the present year will last
about two weeks. between the 18th
and 30th of September. For the pur-
pose of registering those who fail to
get on the list during the general can
Vass the registration agents must keep
open house on Tuesday and Saturday
during the week beginning with the
IF natnhar