The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-08-14
PRIMARY RI. ELECTION.
A Brief Outline of the New Law for
Nominating Candidates for the
General Election.
Some of the Laws Provisions that
!: Will be of Interest to all Who
Are Legal Voters.

On Tuesday, the sixteenth day of
September will be held the first gen.
eral primary election of the State.
The first primary election law was
passed by the legislature of 1899 and
applied only to Hennepin county. At
ter the law was tried by Hennepin
county in the municipal elections of
Minneapolis, the law became quite a
reform fad and the legislature of 1901
made the law general throughout the
State, excepting that it does not apply
to nominations for State officers, or in
town, village or special elections. In
putting the law to the test in some of
the smaller cities throughout the
State last year it was found to be a
verysimpractical method of nominating
municipal candidates and entailed
much red tape and expense, many can
didates preferring to run independent
rather than pay fee to file as a can
didate under the provisions Of the law
for offices that pay no salary. The re-
suit was that at the special session of
the legislature last winter the law was
amended and cities of 10000 inhabi
ants or less were excepted from its
provisions in municipal elections.
The primary election next month will
apply to all judicial, congressional,
Legislative, county and city officers,
whose names will appear on the pri-
mary election ballots in the order
enumerated. The primary election
will be in all its provisions practically
the same as regular election, with
the exception of course that those re.
ceiving the highest number of votes
will be the party nominees whose
names will appear on the regular cleo
ton ballots at the November election.
Candidates who run at the primary
election and are defeated cannot get
their names on the November election
ballots, but there is nothing in the
provisions of the law to prevent a can
didateofrom running Independents at
the regular election in November, and
this is where some of the fall candi-
dates intend to be found. One pecu.
liar provision of the law is that while
man who two years ago generally
supported" the Democratic ticket and
has since changed to a Republican and
is candidate for office, he can qualify
as candidate at the primary election,
but cannot vote the ticket of the party
he has become converted to. That is
to say, he cannot vote for himself, and
candidates are so modest they would
not be guilty of such an act anyway.
Under the technical construction OF
the law a man who has changed his
political belief cannot vote for the
candidates of the party of his latest
choice at the primary election this fall,
but must wait two years, and is put Oh
political probation.
Under the law the primary election
day becomes the first registration day
for the general election in November
there being three general election
registration days, the same as before
To have the right to vote a person
must have the following requirements
He must have the right to register or
that day as voter in that election
district at the ensuing general cleo
ton. That is he must on the genera
election day ensuing Nov. 4, have beer
a resident of the State six months with
the legal requirements of citizenship.
A first voter does not have to be Of
age on the day of the primary, pro-
vided he will be of age Nov. 4, nor
does he have to declare his past party
affiliations or principles. A person
can vote in the election district in
which he resides on the primary cleo.
ton day if he has not resided there 80
days but intends to remain there until
the general election day.
The ballots for the primary election
will be printed on white paper in black
ink, the printed matter on the ballots
to be about the width of two newspa.
per columns, and there shall be a
separate ballot for each political party,
the candidates of which party have
properly qualified as candidates. The
ballots will contain the names of the
candidates grouped in the order as
already stated. At the top of each
ballot will appear the words "Primary
Election Ballot" and to be followed
underneath by the name of the party
which the ballot represents. Then
will follow the words ''List of Can.
didates for Nominations to be Voted
for' in district or ward as the case
may be. In double columns under the
head of the ballot will appear the
names of all the candidates to be voted