The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-30
THIS WILL SUIT.
Proposed Changes in the City
Precinct Boundaries.
Commissioner Williams Would
Equalize the Votes.
TO LIMIT PRECINCTS.
An Extra One In the Third
is Needed.
Second of the Second Ward
Should Be Cut Down.
TO LIMIT PRECINCTS.

Election Commissioner T. S. Williams
will call a meeting of the city election
board for the early part of January to
discuss the advisability of changing
some of the precinct boundaries before
the coming city election.
There is no political significance in the
proposed changes, the only object be-
ing to eoualize the number of voters in
the various precincts and thereby ia
cilitate the voting and canvassing of the
returns. The law says that as far as
possible there shall be $50 male voters
in each precinct.
AS it stands now. the registration in
the various precincts varies from 259 to
$751; male voters. The biggest precinct
in town in point of population is the
second of the Second ward. which has
6S7 male voters registered, which is
equivalent to a total vote of about 1,200.
1t is always the last precinct in town to
complete tire election count, the judges
and clerks frequently being obliged to
work all night
THE only change which 1 shall rec
ommend to the board" said Commits
sioner Williams today, lis that part of
the territory now in the second precinct
of the Second yard be taken out of that
precinct and added to the first precinct
of the Second ward. which has only 362
registered male voters. BY taking $50
voters out of the second precinct and
0UHliIB lHeIll 10 lle llISl, II WOULD give
each precinct about 500. It is possible
for the Judges and clerks to handle 500
without such tremendous difficulties
There is considerable probability. also.
that change viii be made in the pre-
cinct boundaries of the Fifth ward. At
present the first precinct has 259 votes.
the third has 27S, while the second has
515 Some will be taken from the second
and added to the first and third.
There is also some talk of creating
fourth precinct in the Third ward,
which now has only three precincts.
There are enough votes there to make
four good sized precincts. The present
distribution in the Third ward is as fol-
lows;
First precinct ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Cos
Second precinct Observation-Disclosures. 4gO
Third precinct OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. E72
Total ...... .............................i.125
The total registration of the ward di-
the number which should be assigned to
each precinct. though even this number
Is nearly 100 more than the law contem-
plates.
The Fourth ward is not in such bad
shape, as the precincts are quite evenly di-
Vided as they now stand. The following is
the registration by precincts:
Z lrst preclhct 4l6
Second precinct OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 507
Third precinct Observation-Disclosures. 41S
EOurth precinct OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. a3l
The First ward is fairly well fixed, ex-
cept in the First precinct which has only
235 registered male voters while the Sec
ond and Third have 564 and 5S1 respective
| ". Some change may be made in this
ward.
There is not the slightest doubt about
what the board ought to do in regard TO
the Second ward situation, however. The
big Second precinct should be cut down
so that the vote may be cast with more
ease and the returns counted with more
CELEBRITY. The registration by precincts in
the Second ward is as follows:
First precinct ...-.............-...... 262
Second precinct ........................... 6S7
Third precinct ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 454
Fourth precinct Observation-Disclosures. $50
Fifth precinct OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 476
There is not likely to be much opposition
to the proposed change in the precinct
boundries. as it will not affect the politi-
cal situation in regard to the election of
councilmen or city officials in the least.
1t is only a question of how best to di-
vide up the various wards to accommodate
the voters and the election officials.
The change in the Second ward will
probably be effected by adding to the
First precinct, which lies next to the
river on Kansas avenue. about four square
blocks of thic1ly settled territory from
the north edge of the Second precinct
which lies between the First precinct and
Eighth street.