St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-01-18

Having received his ballot the voter
enters one of the booths back of the rail-
ing, where, secluded from observation,
he prepares the ballot by placing in
the blank column cross opposite the
name Of each candidate for whom he de-
eires to vote; or, If he prefers, by writing
the names of the candidates of his own
nomination in place of those already
there. If there are several candidates
for the same kind of office, as coroners in
the sample ballot above, or Presidential
electors. and he wishes to vote the
straight" ticket of his party, he places
the cross under the name of his party.
or draws it through the space in the blank
column allotted to the party's candidates,
which signifies that he votes for each
candidate named in that space Thus. in
the sample ballot. a cross under the word
Democratic" or through the first two
spaces Of the blank column to the right.
as one vote each for Alanson Jacobs and
Harvey Sylvester.
After preparing his ballot by indicat-
ing every candidate for whom he votes.
the voter folds it in such manner as to
aeonceal the face and expose the indorse-
'mcnt, and, withdrawing from the booth,
gives the ballot to the inspectors, who
identify it by the Endorsement as of
6cial. It is then deposited in the box
and the voter passes out at the gate
marked Exit"
From the time he receives his ballot
until he casts it, the voter is permitted
to have no communication with any one
but the election of6ccrN and with them
only for official purposes; ard only cleo
ton officers and persons actually engaged
In voting are ever admitted within the
railing.
Upon proof Of inability from physical
1nfirmity, voter may call into the booth
officers appointed and sworn for the pur-
pose. to aid him in preparing his ballot.
and when ballot is accidentally de-
stroyed or defaced it must b. exchanged
for clean ore. The importance of the
latter requirement may not at ance be an
parent; but to secure secrecy every bal
lot delivered to q voter must be either
cast or returned. This cxplainp the ne
eessity for indcrsing ballots Bns for the
Endorsement blank paper outwardly re-
semhling ballot might be cast by
voter. who would then be able rcrrepti-
tiously to carry away an official ballot
This could be prepared for a brihed
voter, the proof of its use being his pro-
duction of = second official ballot. That
could be similarly prepared and used. and
20 on. Such fraud, known rs the 'Tas-
manian dodge" was successfully perpe-
trated in Australia in the early days of
the system: but its repetition was pre-
vented by requiring ballots to be Official
y indorsed.
AZ it ID essential that ballots be printed
at public expense and distributed By pub
lie officers, the system must include some
mode of certifying nominations to the
proper authorities reasonable time BE-
1oee elections. That proposed By the
Yatee- Saxon bill Of New York was per
hap6,as convenient as could Be desired.
Under it State nominations were to be
cogti6ed fifteen days and local nomina-
t3oos ten days before election: nomina-
tioas of q political party which at the
De1t proceeding election polled 3 per cent
q the whole vote we're to be certified b.
pa1ey of6cerss and Independent nomina-
Sioos, Il for Q State Office, were % be
coeei6o9 b. . thousand voters and If Tor
= ioeal oS6oe. hy = hundred.
u Abeie&Nxpl1nation Of the way in which
80 eystom Affects Ito objects cannot an
tfefnote 60 answer captious objections,
NJ yin - useful to candid inQuirers
pal Sh&s are inekectual to prevent
essl6sv and intimidation. The primary
aii'6Iy iesn secret ballot. And this 10
So6nrs1 when IA pDly pool os aA
q 49, = NJ oNh u1eogso6oEeted
pads - lll1s Hseen