The record-union., 1898-12-25
MACHINE VOTING AGAIN.

MACHINE VOTING AGAIN.
| The full report of the Voting Ma
| chine Commission is at hand. 1t is
much as stated in the earlier mention
of its synopsis in these columns. But
there are detils of especial interest. 1t
seems that the commission has exam
ined very large number Of machines.
1t threw open the door for every device
of the order to be shown to it, either
by working model or by drawing and
description and illustration.
1t describes the several types of ma
chimes, picks out the leaders of each
type, and gives a detailed description
of the machines and the methods of op-
Grating them. 1t finds all of them to
possess merit of greater or less de-
gree, and a few to be very superior, eff
fectiveness and economy being consid-
cred as the chief essentials. All of
them, however, well preserve the Sc
crecy of the ballot
The one thing which more than any
other troubled the commission-which
appears to have been diligent and faith
full in pursuit of knowledge-was the
| question .is it a constitutional right of
! the elector to vote for any person he
chooses regardless of the fact that he
is not nominated by some of the meth
DDS provided by the election law?"
Upon this point they addressed the
Attorney General, who saying the mat
ter is delicate one to answer-though
why we fail to Observation-Disclosures to
answer it, and calls the attention of the
commission to the law of its creation,
and hints that it had better leave con-
stitutional questions alone and follow
the path laid down for it by the Act
bringing it into existence.
We think, however, that the commits
| sion was justified in its inquiry; first
because if the voter is thus buttressed
by the constitutional right, then the
machine to be used must enable him to
vote for any one he chooses, whether
the candidate of his selection is on the
official ballot or not. Unquestionably
| that is the electors right The pres
ent election law recognizes it by pro-
viding for blanks after each official
| title, in one of which the voter may
write the name of the man of his
choice. In such case, it is provided, she
need not use the official stamp, the
writing being accepted as sufficientsevi-
dence Of the true expression of his SOW
ereign will
We do not believe that any Act of
legislation can deprive an elector Of
his right to vote for whom he pleases
That right is invincible. The commits
sion evidently takes the same view of
the question 1t then adds that on that
assumption whatever machine is adopt
ed or tested must provide for this in
dependent voting. 1t names several
machines which do this, but it is added
that in all these cases the supplying of
a separate paper roll upon which The
independent vote may be written.7 and
a device that will prevent voting for
|
complicates the mechanism, augments
its cost and renders the ascertainment
of the result slower in point of time.
Nevertheless, it appears that the re-
suit VIII be announced with the ma
chine method infinitely sooner than un-
der the present system, and that the
record of key votes will be absolutely
accurate, and such totals known when
| the balloting ceases. Of course. the
ascertainment of the written votes
would have to be made separately. But
we assume that there is not a large
percentage of such written votes. so
that in ascertainment the time lost will
not cut a very material figure.
The commission is solid and emphatic
upon certain important points in favor
| of machine voting, namely, it will re-
lduce the number of precincts because
| the process is more rapid; 1t will les
sen the cost of election, because fewer
officers Of election are needed and the
cost of printing ballots is eliminated.
OF course 1t would be wise to retain
| the present system of printing and
mailing to electors sample ballots Or,
what would be better and less expen-
sive, have the sample ballot printed
officially in newspapers of general cir
culation
The report is quite satisfactory. 1t
will put the Legislature In possession of
| all essential facts, and enable it TO leg
islate inteiligently upon the subject
Such legislation ought to be affirmative
AT least, let us have a fair test of the
new system, such as New York has
given it recently, and with complete
success for the machine system.