The herald., 1896-10-28
Win Be 4 Matter Requiring
Much Time
THE AUSTRALIAN BALLOT
Has Been Adopted by Alnos. Every
g5rD stg
sops State dot
should the Election be Close 1t May be
Forty-eight Hours Before the
Result Is Made Known.

A washington special has the follow
ing to say of the difficulties of the coun'
in the coming elections:
The presidential election OF Iuesoay
November 3D., will be held under condl-
tions which have never before pre-
vailed and which will render the OIL
cial count aimatter of difficulty and un-
usual delay irr N nlt Q
Since the last presidential contest
almost every state which had not tnen
adopted the Australian ballot system
has, by state enactment, prescrlpeu
some form Of secret ballot blanket, ell
ther based on the Australian plan or
closely resembling it. The only eXcep-
tions are Georgia. Louisiana, North Car
0lina and South Carolina. In the flrst
three states named the old open palio'
system prevails and the election ma
chinery is in the hands of the state au-
thorities In South Carolina there is
what Is called a reform ballot" In
nearly all the other states blanket bal
lots will be cast and in many OF them
the count will be complicated by the fact
that state. legislative and county nom-
nations are all printed on the same bal
lot with the names of the presidential
electors. Connecticut has an envelope
system and New Jersey prints each
party ticket upon separate ballot.
Should the election be in any way
close it is, therefore, quite possible that
forty-eight hours after the polls close
before the result is known. In states
like Nebraska, for instance, where, ac-
cording to some estimates. there may
not be margin of 5000 votes either way,
It will be impossible to arrive at correct
Judgment until all the back counties are
heard from. The polls in the cities of
some states close at p. m. but in the
country districts keep open till 6. ano
with governor, a legislature and coun-
ty officers to elect, all on one ballot, 1t
will take at least twenty-four hours to
complete the count.
Some idea of the general trend of
votes in Ohio can probably be obtained
from the result of the counties in which
Cincinnati and Cleveland are respect
lively situated. and these results will be
probably known comparatively early.
The two last presidential elections
have been singularly free from uncer-
tainty. 1t was known at 10 p. m on cleo
ton day in 1855 sthat Mr.. Harrison had
defeated Mr.. Cleveland, and it was
known with equal certainty at II p. m
on election day in 1892 that Mr.. Cleve-
land had defeated Mr.. Harrison. But
in the election of 1884, when Mr.. Cleve-
land defeated Mr.. Blaine, the official re-
suit hung In doubt over the vote of New
York for days.
The fusion tickets will add further
element of difficulty in the presiden-
tial count this year.
Fusion has been arranged between
the Populists and the Democrats on the
electoral ticket in every Democratic
state but Tennessee, Mississippi, Geor-
gia, Alabama, Florida and Texas. Iii
several of the southern states, while
there has been no formal fusion between
the Republicans and Populists on state
tickets, b docall arrangements have beer
made that amount to fusion and viii
have more or less to do with the result
The following states will elect gov.
ernors on November Cd: Colorado, Con-
necticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, In
diana Kansas, Massachusetts, Michi-
gan. Minnesota Missouri Montana, Ne
braska, New Hampshire, New York
North Carolina North Dakota, South
Carolina, South Dakota. Texas, Wash
ington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The following will elect legislatures
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Del
aware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana Iowa
Kansas, Kentucky (seven vacancies)
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri Mon
tana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Eamp-
shire, New Jersey. New York (parG
North Carolina, North Dakota, Penn.
sylvania, South Carolina, South Dal1o.
ia, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia
washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
and Wyoming.