Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-10-05
FORM OF BALLOT.
Secretary of State will Soon Certify
Nominations to the Auditors of
Counties.
Form of the Ballot this Election Not as
Cumbersome as in Some of the
States.
Some Conflicts in the Election Laws
Governing the Marking Of
Ballots

VI oCoIC IA1lCy villa UGSlu
Immediately after Oct. &. the last day
for the filing of nominations for state
and district officers, in certifying to
the county auditors Of the state the
nominations that have been made for
Office, for printing on the official bal
lots In the several districts. The Aus
tralian ballot will not be as cumber-
some in this as in some states for the
reason that there are fewer tickets in
the field, and for the additional rea-
son that Candidates names now ap-
pear in but one column, even where
they have been nominated by two or
more parties. Formerly the name of
a candidate was printed as many times
as he received nominations from diff,
felent parties. But under the amended
law the candidate who is nominated
by two or more parties must elect in
which column his name shall appear.
Failing to do this, he is certified as
the nominee of the party from which
notice was first received.
In the election this fall, the ballot
Will contain the candidates, first of the
republican party, as that casting the
greatest number Of votes at the last
election. Then comes the fusion ticket,
the Independent democrat. Then will
be the prohibition state ticket, the So
clal-democratic ticket, nominated by
paper and the straight Dopulist. In
dividual nominations will also appear,
SO far there are only two of these,
Alfred White for the state senate from
the Thirty-first district and j. Fried
lander for the house in the Ninth dis
trict.
The nominations for judgeships and
or members of the legislature will
also be certified by the secretary of
state to the auditors. Net all of the
legislative nominations have been filed
yet. The conventions and candidates
have until Saturday of this week 10
file nominations.
There is a conflict in the law with
regard to the manner Of marking bal
lots this year. One section of the
code provides that a straight ticket
may be voted by making a cross in the
square above the party designation, or,
il the voter marks this o and other
names in other columns it shall be
considered a ballot for all of the can
didates in the party except those
crossed in another column. But an
other section Of the code provides that
all names on the ballot must he
crossed, or they shall not be deemed
voted for. This would knock out the
voting Of a straight ticket with one
cross mark. But the former is Uhe:
later legislation and will probably hold
in the election, allowing the voting of
straight tickets with a cross in the
party square.
The conflict between the constitu-
ton and the law regarding the quail
tications Of voters is settled, of course,
according to the constitutional provi-
sions. This provides that voters
must be full citizens. The law pro-
vides that those who have declared
their intention to become citizens at
Last a year before election shall be
electors. Courts through the state
are holding special terms to allow all
qualified persons who desire. to take
out their second papers and vote.