The Advocate and news., 1898-11-30
How the Machine Worked.


by machine at the election Tuesday. So
successful was the working of the new
system that the entire vote of the city
had been counted and turned in at po-
lice headquarters exactly thirty-seven
minutes after the polls closed The vote
for Governor was: Roosevelt, IA, ,129;
Van Wyck, 1900.
The Rochester Times gives the fol-
lowing account Of the working Of the
maChine
The Standard voting machine, which
will have a practical test in Rochester
tomorrow, will be watched by other
large cities, and, II It proves success,
will be generally adopted by them for
all future elections 1t Is quite an in
novation, and, IL 1t accomplishes what
the company processes, will reduce cleo
tioneertng to a veritable science It is
promised that these machines will fur
nish complete returns from every cleo
tlon district within thirty minutes from
the time the polls close-a wonderful
contriVance, truly.
The Standard voting machine, accord
ing to It's inventor, will guarantee to
each voter the opportunity (1) to vote
In absolute secrecy; (2) to vote rapidly
and in the most convenient way possi-
BILE; (3) to vote a straight party ticket
by operating one knob, which moves all
the indicators on that ticket; (4) to
vote for the entire ticket by moving an
indicator over the name Of each candi-
date separately; (5) to vote as he may
choose for candidates for any party, or
for persons not named on any ticket;
(6) to vote for all the candidates for
whom he is entitled to vote, at the same
time preventing him from exceeding the
privilege given him by law; (7) to exam
Inc the ticket he has voted and make any
change he desires before registering Il
and leaving the booth
In view of the fact that many voters
do not understand the working OF the
machine, a full explanation of how to
use it Is here given.
The party tickets are arranged In ver-
tical columns, as In the old paper ballots,
headed by distinguishing letter and
party emblem On the left is a column
for the various offices to be filled by cleo
tion. BY this arrangement the horizon
tai rows contain the names Of the va
ilOuh CduuluulcS LUZ CdC1 ullICGs
The candidates can be grouped so that
one or several Cup to the limit Of the ma
chine) can be voted and no more. The
machine can be easily changed from the
outside Of the casing to allow full vot-
ing For irregular voting the machine
provides a column of columns three
fOurths by three inches placed on the
right of the regular ticket, each covered
by a steel slide which, when pushed
back, locks the corresponding line, and
permits the voter to write the name OF
any person not regularly nominated on
a roll Of paper The movement OF the
operating lever turns the roll drawing
the marked paper from the opening, and
at the same time closing the slide.
The individual count Is on the back
Of the machine and inside the case The
counters can be seen by opening the back
doors, which can only be unlocked when
the machine itself is locked against vOt-
ing.
The total vote register is always Visi-
BILE from the front OF the machine so
that every voter can see that the vote has
been recorded.
All the movements are positive In ac-
tion. The pieces are made OF cold rolled
steel coppered and nickeled and Of brass.
When the curtain is back, exposing
the machine, the voting mechanism Is
locked BY completely drawing the cur
tain, so as to conceal the vote, the mech
anism is unlocked BY moving over The
handle at the top of any column, thus
covering the party emblem, votes the
party ticket and locks all other handles
and irregulars. By moving any handle
so as to cover a particular candidate
votes that candidate. Split tickets can
thus be voted by moving the party han
die at the top which votes every Office
except those afterward moved in other
columns.
The machine is simple one and pre-
vents ballot box stufing.