The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-01
VOTING BY MECHANISM
REMARKABLE MACHINE TO BE
EXHIBITED HERE.
George r. Carter Has Ordered New
Contrivance So it Can be Inspected
BY Honolulu People.

While in Rochester, New York state
George r. Carter became acquainted
with what is probably one of the most
remarkable mechanical contrivances
of the age, the Standard Voting Ma
chine. His first acquaintance with the
instrument was made originally
through curiosity but after studying
over the workings of the machine and
as he says, realizing that Honolulu peo-
pie are anxious to secure every thing
that is up to date, he returned and
made a more careful study of the thing.
AS the result of his observations he was
so highly impressed with the contri-
vance that he borrowed one from the
manufacturers for the sole purpose of
bringing 1T to Honolulu for the people
| to inspect. Like the far famed Jones
of scales fame, Carter pays the
freight.
Il regard the machine" said Mr.. Car
ter ''as one of the most remarkable and
ingenious cOntrivances of the age. 1t
is absolutely correct, there is no chance
of a voter voting wrong and above all,
there is no chance of voting fraudu-
lently. 1t is as much an improvement
/ over the Australian ballot system as
| was the Australian system over the old
/ style of voting.
| THE machine is about four feet
! square, ten inches deep and is support
! ed by legs, the top being perhaps six
J
projects from the upper corners, on
I which is hung a curtain which forms a
/ booth, giving the voter absolute secrecy
! AS soon as the voter approaches the
machine, the inspector turns a lever
which is on the top of the machine over
to the right. This closes the curtain
! and also sets the machine ready for
use. board which is divided into a
number of columns one for each poll
! teal party, is before the voter Run
ming downward in these columns are
| the names of the various nominees. In
| addition to the regular nominees is an
| extra column where the names of peo-
| pie not regularly nominated can be
: voted for.
AT the head of each column is a
brass key, while smaller counters are
| opposite every name on the ballot.
| This brass key controls the party ticket
and also serves to start the working of
the machine For instance, If a man
4 desires to vote the straight Republican
ticket all that he will have to do will
be to turn this brass key and the entire
1 row of counters in the Republican CO.
lumn drop down and a straight vote is
| marked, If he wants to stratch the
ticket but vote majority of that party
all that is required is to turn the key
4 at the head of the party column and
then he can carefully place the coun-
ters of the candidates distasteful to
him back in their place and draw down
the corresponding counters of any of
the other party nominees. The ma
chine is so regulated however that only
one vote can be cast for a single office
When you have voted as you wish
which can be readily seen by q
glance over the board, you signify tC
the inspector that all is ready for re-
gistering your vote. He throws the
level on the top of the machine over tc
lnff ,in1,
and the vote is registered by the coun.
ters in the rear part of the machine.
Another feature about the machine
which prevents it being tampered Nitf
is that the two sides can not be opened
at the same time. AS soon as the vot.
ing is over the back is opened and there
, are the results of the balloting added
for each candidate by the register. II
: addition to saving all of the laboriou.
work of counting the ballots by oul
present system, the machine will pre-
vent any expensive contests 1t is fina
and absolute and there is no appea
. from it. There are moreover plenty o
ways to beat the Australian system
but there are none with this machine
THE machine has already beer
adopted in the cities of Buffalo, Roches
ter, Utica, Ithica, Poughkeepsie anC
Auburn, New York state and has givel
the greatest satisfaction at those place
II can Dc uSeN lOI All ClldIdCleT OF eleC
= tions, municipal as well as Congress
sional. The cost is rather high, $50
being charged for each machine. How
ever l believe that the money would b
well spent. 1t would not require
large number of election officials an,
moreover the voting results would b
known within a few minutes. The vot
4 ing could be done much more rapid
4 than by our present system. We coul
$ enlarge the precincts If these machine
were adopted / do not consider /
necessary as yet to introduce them Il
D the country districts but that the,
Y would be most valuable in the congest
4 ed city precincts l am positive.
t 81 have arranged with the manu-
D facturers of the machine to loan me on
of them so that it can be brought her
and exhibited. The machine has al
ready been shipped from Rochester an
should reach here within thirty day!
I l will have it put in place where tn
d public can inspect 1t. l want to lear
e the desire of the people. If they thin
L they want the machine then we ca
take steps to secure what ever numbe
may be necessary. I have secured tn
loan of the machine for ninety days"
THE OLD PLANTATION.