The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-01-09
FOR new
PRIMARY LAW
Commission Named by Governor
Murphy Recommend Changes.

rTimafIeS proposed for First
Registration Day-BiII to be Pre-
sented to Legislature-If Adopted
With Reforms New Jersey win
Have rIodeI Law.
The Commission, Comprising Clerk
IN Cnancery Edward @. Stokes, Joseph
u Mum Of Newark ana Corporation
Counsel George L., Record OF Jersey
CITY say "a bill has been prepared
following q Conference with the Gov
ernor. i
One OF its salient features is pro-
vision thatin future primary elections
shall be conducted at the expense
OF the pnblicand under the direction,
OF public officers Instead of by the
respective parties. as at present.
To accomplish this, it is proposed
that primary elections for ali political
parties shall be held at tie same time
and place. The time is to be the first
registry day. to be fixed by the act,
and the places are to be the places Of
holding the registry in the fall OF
each year.
The scheme contemplates the con-
ducting of primary elections by the
several boards of registry ard election
substantially as general elections for.
members Of the assembly are nav.
conducted, with official ballots, baIlotS
boxes. registry lists ani polling booths.
Provision Is made in the act tha5 the
proper municipal clerk shall prepare
the primary ballots of all political
parties from petitions filed in their
respective offices. Such must bc signed
by not less than ten voters of any
political partVe who may endorse any
member Of ttein political spRrty as
Candidate fdr the party nomInaion to
public Office, when such nomination il
10 be made at the primary election, or
ms candidate for the position Of dele
gate to q political convention. whore,
such nominations are to be made in
i SOn 'oH'Aub-s "a sSJsN Ef1t M
A petition will carry with it re-
quest to the municipal clerk that the
name OF the person so endorsed be-
printed upen the official primary
election ballot.
The clerks are to prepare the ballots
from the names Of the persons SO pre-
l
senred, ,arranging them alphabetically,
or. in case of delegates pledged to sup
port a particular candidate or cam
didates in gronps.
| The clerk may also print upon the
official ballot. when requested to do
SO by candidate, opposite the name
Of any person endorsed as candidate
for Office, or for the position Of dele
gate, the name Of the person who 10
the choice Of snch for nomination at
the ensuing convention.
The ballots so prepared are to be the
only ballots permitted at the primary
ELECTIONS, and the voters qualified to
Register for the ensuing general cleo
tion are to be qualified to vote at such
primary.
Provision is made by the act that
each voter shall announce his party
affiliations aud il challenged make
oath that he voted for the head of the
party ticket at the last election and
intends to vote with the same party
at the ensuing election. Having thus
qualified, the voter will be entitled
to receive from the board Of registry
and election an official ballot OF his
| political party, and no other, upon
which he may indicate his choice OF
the candidate of his party to be nom
mated or his choice for delegate to
the party convention, rs the case may
be, by erasing all names except those
voted for.
At the close of the primary election
the boaros OF registry are to deter
mine the persoas having the highest
number Of votes for any office in each
political party, or for the position Of
delegate to the ensuing convention
OF eacn party, and are TO issue eertii-
Gates accordingly. These certificates
are 10 serve as credentiels at the con-
vention or as a voucher FOR county
and municipal clerks in cases where
the nominations are made directly by
tho primary
The outline of the provisions of the
bill shows that il would be a radical
departure from the methods now in
vogue.
The commission believes that it hss
solved the question of expense by the
provision that the primary election
shall be conducted by the regularly
appointed boards ON the first registry
day. AS by this course the memeers
Lot the boards would receive but one
: days pay and would accomplish the
! same work as heretofore. Indeed, the
, bill persumes that even more would
be actually done, because the nane
! OF persons attending the primaries
. wopld naturally be added 80 the reg
istry list at the Same time, while a
present the first registry day is praa
. tically lost, SO few voters putting IL
( an appearance.