The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-24
HOW TO MARK BALLOTS
INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY THE
ELECTION COMMISSIONERS.
To Vote "a Straight Ticket a Cross
Must Be Made in the Circle with
Blue Lead Pencil.

of the Republican and Democratic city
committees yesterday finally approved the
instructions to voters and election officers
prepared by the joint committee of law
yers composed of r. O. Hawkins, j. e.
Mccullough, Martin NJ. Hugg and John w.
Kern. A new set of Instructions was made
necessary by the changes in the ballot law,
substituting the pencil for the stamp and
the circle Tor the square containing the
device. The Instructions to voters are as
follows:
Il. You must get your ballot and the blue
pencil OF the polling clerks in the election
room.
p If you want to vote a straight ticket
make cross thus X, within the large cir
Gle at the head of the ticket containing
the device of the party fof whose canU-
dates you wish to vote. If you do not wish
TO vote straight ticket, you must not
make cross in the large circle containing
the device OF your party, but you must
make q cross, thus X, on the small square
to the left of the name of each candidate
Tor whom you desire to vote, on whatever
INST or candidates 1t may be. If the large
circle at the head of the ticket is marked,
and the ballot is marked at any other place,
1T is void and cannot be counted, unless
there be no candidate for some office in
the list printed under such marked device,
in which case you may indicate your choice
for such office by making cross, thus X,
on the square to the left of the name OF any
candidate for such office on any other list.
The cross must be placed within or on the
circle or square, or the ballot is void and
cannot be counted.
20. Do not mutilate your ballot, or mark
it either by scratching a name off or writ
ing one on, or in any other way, except
by marking in the circle or on the squares,
as before mentioned. Otherwise the ballot
Will not be counted.
"A After marking your ballot. and before
leaving the booth, fold it so that the face
of it cannot be seen, and so the initial let
tiers of the names of the polling clerks On
the back thereof can be seen. Then hand
your ballot to the inspector, the pencil TO
the polling clerk, and leave the room.
50. If you are physically unable to mark
your ballot, or cannot read English so ln-
form the polling clerks, and tell them how
you wish to vote, and they Will mark your
ballot for you. But neither you nor the
clerks must permit any other person to
hear or see how your ballot is marked. 1t
is penal offense to declare that you can
not read English or cannot mark your bal
lot, if, in fact, you can.
SO. If you should accidentally, or by mis-
take, deface, mutilate or spoil your ballot,
return it to the poll clerks and get new
ballot.
any person outside of the election room.
Any ballot outside is fraudulent, and 1t is
a penttentiary offense to nave such pailot
in your possession whether you attempt to
vote it or not.
IS. You must not attempt to hold any
conversation in the election room except
with members of the Election Board and
poll clerks
-. You must not put any mark of any
kind on your ballot except as before men
80 Use only the blue pencil handed to
you by the polling clerk in marking your
ballot If you mark with any otner pencli,
ed" ''''O~
There is comparatively little difference in
the institutions to election officers from
those of former years. No watchers are
permitted in the ROOM either during the
voting or counting, and the regulations for
the duties of judges, clerks, inspectors,
sheriffs, poll-book holders and challengers
are the same as heretofore. The only new
point is on the question of the pencil marks,
which is covered in the following para
graph:
Immediately On closing the polls the
Election Board must count the ballots re-
manning unvoted, make record or the
number on the tally sheets and totally de-
stroy them by fire. The Election Board
must then proceed to canvass the paliots
NAV not be separated into straight and
scratched when taken from the box, as IS
ordinarily done to facilitate counting. II
any ballot be found INITIATED, deIaced OF
marked so that it can be Identified, 1t must
not be counted, but the board should not
adhere to such severe CONSTRUCTION vi
the law as will deprive innocent or honest
voters of their rights. In determining tne
intention of the voter, care1ul put COM
nonsense discretion should be exerclssid c
Instances may arise Wnere IlnseI-hidt.hS
from a greasy or soiled hand may, unin-
tentionaiIy. have been left upon the ballot.
In such en- instance. if the board IS con- con
vinced after a careful examination, that
NE marks were accidentally and not in
tentionaIly, have been left upon the oali .p
should be counted. If the. initials or tne
poll clerks be not in the lower leIt-ndnC
corner. and this appears clearly to nave
been an honest and unintentional MISTAKE ES
of the poll clerks, the ballot should De
I'LL f a
ever if the intention of the voter is not
indicated by the blue-pencil mark, and IN
the exact manner required by the statute,
which provides that the cross must De on
or Pouch the circle or SQUARE.