La Junta tribune., 1903-02-14
TO REVOLUTlONIZE
THE PRIMARIES

eouTteenth General Assembly of Colo
sado By 6ea1Gog Taylor of Glsawoo1
6pFinEs which aims 70 throw aFoan1
primary elections for the noDtnat1na
Of Officers all The safeguards provided
IT general elections. and thug To ~
der impossible the easy manipuiatioa a
primaries. which 10 the weakest spot u
our present system Of popular govern
ment
| visions OF the bill. which IL OF conatd-
cradle length and very careful and sps-
cifc In all the details involved In III
operation:
Section ! provides that q primary
election shall be held within the ssv-
eral precincts Of the territory fos
which ofdcers are to be elected ssveu
weeks preceding an election for ths
purpose Of nominating all omcers ex-
cept state oficerx and that such
primary election shall constitute and
be In lieu Of the nrst day of registra-
ton rs nov provided by Law. subse-
quent registration days remaining a.
1t present
Section !. prescribes tha, q political
party, within the meaning of the act.
Is one which shall have cast at least
ten per cent OF the total vote cast st
the last preceding election for its Lead
ing candidate Nominations for canci-
oates OF such parties must he made
under the law and not otherwise but
nominations Of other than such politi-
cal parties may be made by petition
rs at present
Section I declares that at least
twenty days before the primary cleo
tion day any person seeking an Office
snail appear before the secretary OF
state. II the Office is to be voted for in
more than one county. or the county
clerk II voted for in a single county.
with an affidavit that II is his bona fide
Intention to run for the nomination for
any specified Office. and upon payment
70 the secretary of state OF $50. or in
case he goes before the county clerk.
OF $40. his name shall be placed on the
| primary election ballot. All fees paid
TO the secretary OF state are to be di-
vided among the counties taking part
| In the election. A form for the nomi-
nation affidavit is prescribed In the
| bill.
Section provides that on the nine
teenth day before the primary election
the secretary of state shall certify to
the county clerks and recorders OF the
several counties the names of all quail
| ihed candidates of all the political
fore the primary election the county
clerk and recorder shall prepare at
once In writing a separate ballot for
l the candidates of each party. grouped
/ by themselves, and publish the same
twice in the official paper OF his county.
This section also prescribes the form
of the ballot.
Section provides that judges OF
election In each precinct shall I've des-
| ignated In the same manner as now
provided by law. and further provides
for the addition Of two more clerks In
case Of emergency.
| Section 8 provides that on the pfi-
mary election day the judges and
clerks OF election shall perform both
the duties OF the board of registration
as prescribed by the registration law
OF the state and the duties of judges
and clerks of primary election. but
shall only receive single pay.
| Section 10 prescribcs that the regis
ters provided by the general registra-
tion law OF the str.te shall have an ad-
Gitional column headed. VOTED. Pri-
mary Election" No names are to be
placed on the registers previous to the
day Of primary election. nor upon that
day. in any city or Incorporated town.
! except those who shall lppear in per
| son before the board.
| Section IA prescribes the Qualifca-
tions OF voters. The voter must be
registered according to law ard is then
entitled to receive a ballot OF the polit-
ical party which he then declares tun-
der oath. II his right thereto is chal-
| lenged) that he Is affiliated with.
| Section Is specifies the manner OF
marking ballot.
| Section 16 relates to the manner OF
casting a ballot.
Section II prescribes the preiimi-
naries to be observed before proceed
1 ing to count the ballots. blank being
prepared by the judges and clerks. to
be sent to the county clerk. giving the
numbers of persons present at the
election and the number of ballots
cast. On the registers opposite the
names Of persons voting shall be
marked the word voted" the word
mo designating those who did not
| vote.
Section IS prescribes the method OF
canyassing the vote. The ballots of
the different parties shall be separat-
ed and those OF each party counted
| apart from the others.
Section 19 relates to tally sheets and
returns.
Section 20 relates to the making out
Of returns.
1 Section 90 relates to the report of
the canyassing board. The board shall
make and sign a statement as follows:
i. statement containing the
names Of all candidates voted for at
the primary election. with the number
Of votes received by each. and for what
once, said statement to be made for
each political party separately.
2. A statement Of the names Of the
persons or candidates OF each political
/ party who are nominated, to-wit.
Those persons or candidates Of such
political party who received the high
est number Of votes for the respective
ofhces and where there is more than
one person to be elected to = given Of
nee the names Of 30 many candidates