The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-27
VOTE BY MACHINERY
CITY COUNCIL WILL. cOxSTDEp
PROPOSITION TO INSTALL
SYSTEM
SAMPLE MACHINE DISPLAYED
Eastern Company Offers to Supply
Complete System and Take Pay
From Saving Over
Old Method

At the next meeting of the two coun-
Gil bodies a proposition to install one or
more voting machines for use in the next
city election as an experiment, will be
made The machines cost $500, and ac-
cording to the inventor, are perfect
The first machine to break into the St
Paul field and answer the call of the
county commissioners who are making
an investigation of machine voting, is the
United States Standard Voting Machine
company, of Rochester, N. Y
A representative of the company armed
With a dummy machine arrived in the
city yesterday, and taking advantage Of
the special meetings of the two council
bodies called for yesterday afternoon, ap-
peared before them informally. The
members gave no intimation that they
desired to close any deal but advised
him If he had any proposition to brin:,
1t before the regular meetings to be held
next week
The machine is the same as those now.
in use in the majority of the Eastern
cites and, according to the company's
representative, does everything but talk
The act of entering the curtain-encIosed
booth in which the machine is contained,
throws 1t into action, while the act Of
leaving it registers the vote and leaves
1t ready for the next voter. The ticket
appears on the face of the machine and
to each candidate is apportioned a knob
or Switch the turning of which regis
tiers vote for that particular candidate.
A straight or split ticket can be voted.
The act of voting for a candidate on one
ticket locks the switch for the same
candidate on the opposite, so that no mis-
take can be made. When the polls are
closed for the day, the result is known
instantly. Opening a door in the rear Of
the machine displays the counters and the
same can be taken down on the tally
sheets with the knowledge that it is ac-
curate.
AS the machines cost $500 each, one for
each of the 115 or more precincts with
which St Paul is credited would be a
costly investment, but the company, as a
way to avoid this expenditure all in one
lump, agrees to supply the machines and
take its pay out of the saving that would
accrue to the city over the old method
st. Paul this year will separate itself
from nearly $4,000 as a result of the pri.
marfes and elections to be held If the
machines were purchased and a saving Of
$4,000 effected, then under the companys
proposition this amount would apply on
the debt incurred. Each year this saw
ing would be paid over until the entire
debt was paid off,
AS an experiment, the company wants
the city to purchase two machines and
use them in TWO of the voting precincts
at the next election. The company prom
1ses to send instructors and also supply
dummy machines, so that every voter
VIII be given chance to learn how to
vote under the new arrangement
). The use of the machines would do away
with the employment of more than two
Judges, all clerks and the printing of bal
lots. 1t is also claimed that the city
would be enabled to reduce the number
of precincts.
The county commissioners, several days
ago, named committee to inquire into
the advisabilityr of purchasing voting ma
chimes. The machine now on display here
is quite simple, and was favorably re-
ceived and commented upon by those
members Of the council who were shown
It's workings yesterday