The record-union., 1899-01-18

sixty udyS. y IuSI lie loW
rev registration has been ordered the
Clerk must make up precinct packages
and enter the voters names in precinct
books and complete the task twenty
days before election. the bill substi-
tutes seventy-two days. Under the
present law the County Clerk must fur
nish the printer contracted with, the
copy for the precinct book twenty days
before election. The bill substitutes
twenty-six days.
BY the new bill all reference to trans
fers in the present section 1888 is omit
ted, as if it is intended to have no
more transfers Of registration. Under
the law as we have it no precincts may
be established or their boundaries al
tered within thirty days of an election;
the bill substitutes 100 days. At pres
ent the polls open on election day at
sunrise: under the change proposed by
the bill, they are to open at a. m.
AS the law now is when the hour Tor
closing the polls has arrived and the
proclamation of closing is made, all
electors who have not voted, though
present, are shut out from depositing
ballots. But under the new bill 1t is
provided that when the polls close all
electors who are within the election
booth and who have not cast their bal
lot, shall be entitled to receive, mark
and deposit their ballot. This change,
while prima facie just, may, 1t will be
observed, be subject to great abuses
and made to work possible defeat OF the
purpose of the ballot box, since it in
vites the vicious to refrain from vot-
ing to the last moment, and then to
pack the election booth and possibly
perpetrate outrages upon the integrity
Of the ballot box.
All the amendments to sections 1857,
1883, 1196, 1897, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1858
and 1853, appear to be necessary to
make the law conform in detail to the
new style of ballot with parallel and
party columns, and to the method of
counting straight votes, split votes, etc.
But very careful and painstaking ex-
animation of the whole of these sec
tions which are almost entirely re-
formed, must be had to ascertain if
ions, however much it may be intended
by the author that they shall be clean
and wise.
A practically new section gives the
new form of tally sheets necessary in
the count of straight votes and split
ballots, and apparently it meets the
necessity of the case. While it is pro-
vided that a voter may write out an en-
tire list of names not in nomination,
and while blank column is provided
for that purpose, there is no provision
in the enumeration of articles to be
placed in the election booth, for pen
and ink with which he may exercise
the privilege.
1t is now the law, that there shall
twelve instruction cards to be posted
at the polls, and in the booths to in
form electors how to prepare their bal
lots. The new bill adds the require
ment that when the sample ballots are
mailed to voters there shall also, be
mailed to each elector one printed copy
of such instructions, that he may study
them at his leisure at home-an added
cost, but if the change in system is
made probably a wise one, since the
method of voting the parallel column
ballot will be strange to most voters;
at least it may not be unwise to send
out these official instructions to all vot-
ers for couple Of years, that errors
may be avoided.
There is provision for segregating
straight voted ballots from split bal
lots, in order that the process of count
ing may be fastened. By this method
the straight votes may be tailed in
gross, after being carefully counted.
Whereas under the law as it stands
one may write in any name of a person
he wishes to vote for, whether nominat-
ed or not, and must do so under the
printed names, by the new bill it Is
provided that all such writing Of names
must be done in the blank column, and
not in the party column
Much Of the law inapp1icable to the
proposed parallel column system is
omitted in the new bill, and apparently
only to adapt the statute to the new
method. But care must be taken to
ascertain that no material and still
essential matter is thus stricken out
Apparently the bill moves in a right
direction, along the lines we have in
dicated. But there is one omission
which should be supplied, namely, there
should be a requirement compelling the
election boards to post firmly and con-
spicuously outside each polling place the
result Of the counting of the ballots,
Immediately upon the completion there
of, and it should be an offense to re-
move, mutilate or disturb such posted
statement This is desirable for two
reasons, nrSt as check against
changes corruptly made; second that
the people may have the earliest possi-
bic official news OF the result Of the
election and not be compelled to wait
until the canvass ten days later
This posted statement should be Off
cially signed and certified and give the
total vote cast for each person voted
for. The bill has been referred to the