The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-14
THE VOTING MACHINES.

The record made by the voting machines
in yesterdays election is detailed elsewhere
in this issue of the Journal. and it is
impressive, though it should be matter of
no surprise that the machines did their
work quickly and accurately. The fact that
there were many scratched tickets offered
no difficulty. When the last vote was in
the work of the machine was done and all
there was left to do in the precinct was to
make and sign a written record of the vote.
AT numerous points in the East and at num-
erous club elections in Indianapolis the vot-
ing machine had in the past demonstrated
its great usefulness and yesterdays demon
stration should therefore occasion no sur
prise.
The advantages to be gained are very OBJ
vious. 1t means, in the first place, practi-
cally no Acknowledgement, through honest
mistakes, which is one of the greatest draw
backs of the Australian system There have
been numerous elections, city, county and
township. in Indiana since the adoption of
| the Australian law, in which there have
been enough mutliated ballots to have
and in all these cases it has been ques-
| ton if the will of the majority has not been
| defeated through ignorance or carelessness.
With the machine there can be no ballot vi
tiated by distinguishing marks, and it is me-
| chanically impossible for the voter to vote
| for two candidates for the same office. The
very worst he can do is to neglect to vote
for some candidate he had intended to vote
| for.
Another advantage lies in considerable
| saving Of expense. Not only can the num-
| Der of officers required to conduct pre-
cinct polling place be reduced, but they
will draw pay for but one day, instead of
for two or three days, as under the old sys-
| tenn The expenses of an election are re-
duced more than half, and in most cases as
| much as two-thirds. The machines will pay
| for themselves in very few elections, and
afterwards result in a great saving to the
people, for they should last many decades
| with proper care.
But the great advantage, and the one
that should determine the adoption Of yot.
ing machines, regardless of expense, lies il
the elimination of fraud they must work
| 1t has been demonstrated over and over
| again that it is possible to beat" the
Australian law, and every election brings
the same old charges by each party that the
other is perpetrating wholesale frauds by
the use of carbons in envelopes, an exchange
| ballot or some other of the numerous mean:
OF Identifying the vote of the purchasabl,
voter. With the machine there is no pos
sible way of doing this. Probably the com
monest method of fraud is by the purchas,
of election boards, and there have beer
elections in which this was done on a very
large scale. With the machines there could
be no advantage in this, and it would no
be worth while to corrupt the boards
Furthermore, the promptness with which
the returns are made UP and brought in Ii
not merely great satisfaction to the pub
lie, but is in itself preventive of fraud
Indeed it seems that the only loophole TO
corruption left by the machine is the pos
sibility of bribing voters to stay away from
the polls, and this is something that coul,
only be reached by a compulsory votin,