The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-11
THIS is BAD.
School Proposition May Have to
Wait.
technical Question Arises About
Election Bonds.
HOPE TO YET FIX 1T.
Trouble Caused About Women's
Vote on Bond Proposition.
Il Their Vote Is Light Would
Not Matter.

Unexpected complications have arisen
which may make it necessary for the
question of voting bonds to build school
buildings to be held over to some future
time, and not be called in conjunction
with the coming county election
All the difficulty hinges on the ques-
hon Of whether it is necessary to have
two complete sets of judges and clerks
70 the general election, and one to the
bond election. City Attorney Spencer is
nf the opinion that two boards will be
necessary.
If it is found that two boards will be
required the bond election viii have to
be held over for Election Commissioner
r. s. Williams says that he has con-
kracted for rooms in which to hold the
election- and that in most cases the
rooms are too small to accommodate
Furthermore, if it is necessary to
have two boards, the expense of the
election will be nearly doubled. 1t will
cost the city almost $1,000 extra.
City Attorney Spencer viii draw up
the election proclamation today, and will
We says fix it so that the questions at
sue will have to be decided by the cleo"
ton board composed of one councilman
from each ward of the city If the board
decides that two boards are necessary to
do the work, it will then be up to-"
Mayor Parker to issue his proclamation
In accordance with these findings.
1t Is lIOuSnL LlldI IWO GOuDlGlC S1CC-
lion boards will be necessary for this
reason: Women are allowed to vote at
the bond election, but not at the general
county and state election. If the cleo
tions are held at the same time it would
not do to put the names of the women
on the poll books with the names of the
men, because the certificate of the
Judges that the women voted at the
general election would be invalidated. 1t
Is therefore absolutely necessary to keep
the names of the women who vote on the
bond proposition separate from the
names Of the men. 1t is also held that
the male voters on the bond proposition
will also have to be recorded on h sep
arate poll book This would make two
complete sets of poll books and three
ballot boxes to be attended, to. which
would be rather more than the average
board of elections could manage. Usu-
ally the judges and clerks can't keep one
set of books straight, to say nothing of
two sets.
There seems to be only one hope of
escape for the election board. and that
is to trust that the women's vote on the
bond proposition will be light. and ar
range it. if it can be done legally. SO
that the poll of the women voters be
kept on a separate sheet, and incorpora-
ted with the general election poll book
afterwards the tally sheets showing
the summary of both male and female
votes on the bond proposition. This
would necessitate keeping only the ex-
ira Doll book for female voters. and if
the female vote was not too heavy
might be handled by one election board.
Some believe that the female vote on
the bond election will not be over 1000
for the whole city. while others antici-
pate that it will run much heavier if
the women get interested in the ques-
ton. In the spring election last year
there were 5000 female votes cast.