Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-07
PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.


Special interest attaches TO the new
primary election law which went into
effect on Saturday In California. be-
cause n the frequency with which such
a law has becn urTcd upon Legislators
here There has been no particular cf-
fort put forth In behalf n the plan al
the present Legislature. but on several
previous occasions u has bccn strongly
urged. though no measure N this char
actor has been passed. and II D. quite
likely TO come forward again In the fu-
turc. when the California experience
Will be- of decided value.
A. In this and other State. califor-
mans were greatly dlapieased with the
ordinary methods Of choosing delegates
10 nominating conventions. because "
was claimed that the respectable vot-
inR element were ovefslaughcd BY
"hoelorp" and rings" and could not
give fair expression 10 their preference
FOR delegates VINO were not under the
influence u one or the other combine
The untrammclcd delegate was much
less In evidence In the Golden state
than here. hence the public clamor for
change ASSUMED such proportions
that the california legislature was Inn
PEELED 10 take action. which II did IN
the present law.
a brief explanation ~ the California
statute will make n easily understood
where the people arr familiar with the
workings Of tho Australian ballot. The
new law provides that the state shall
furnish the Australian form ~ ballot
az primary elections. on which the col.
umnr ~ all the political parties appear.
The voter. who must BE- duly registered
before he can vote. goes 10 the polls,
gives his name TO tho judges. receives a
ballot. proceeds to the secrc, booth, and
there expresses his choice Tor delegates
10 the convention about TO be- held. by
writing or FASTING the names of the
delegates he favor. underneath the
general party heading. AZ the conciu-
sion ~ the voting day ballots are
counted, na nj general elections. and
the judges certify the results TO tho
board of supervisors Of the county. No
voter may vote Tor delegates for more
than one party. Al parties have the
same time and place for holding their
primarlcs. and one set OF officials serves
Tor all. These officials consist ~ two
judges. two clerks aud two inspectors.
who are appointed by the supervisors
from the ranks Of two political PARTIES
receiving the highest number Of votes
at the last preceding election. Primar.
les Tor county. state ana congressional
elections are 30 be- held on tho r-cnnd
Tuesday " every other August. for
municipal elections ou the sixth Tues.
day before the election Is TO be held.
The penal laws which apply to general
elections atc applicable 20 primaries.
although II u stated that the object ~
the measure b. not Co penaiiEc frauds.
but 60 prevent them. Primary election
days are holidays.
The first important tcst ~ the statute
lu California win come at tho San
Franclfco municipal election next fan.
whore there VIII be at least sufficient
development 10 Indicate whether the
law has a purifying eject upon nom.
mating conventions ana secures bot
ter expression NJ the voters than here
tofofe. n II h conducive tn this end
Ia ita practical workings In california.
then We may anticipate strong move.
menl In ~ behalf Ia this ami other
states la the West