Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-06-18
THE NEW PRIMARY LAW.
Explanation Of its Working Given by Ex-
Senator Stokas

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Explanation Of its Working Given by Elk
Senator Stokes.
Hon. Edward c. Stoke, in an interview
with representative Of the New York
Tribune, gives the following explanation Of
the new primary election law, and every
voter should become thoroughly familiar
with its provisions and requirements. Mr..
Stokes said =
The primary election bill is practically
an extension of the ballot reform law for
primary elections 1t provides for official
ballots, to be furnished by the municipal
clerks. The voting on primary day occurs
at the polling places Of each election district
under the direction Of the boards of registry
and election. There are four parties inter-
ested in the working of the law: the voter,
the candidate, the municipal clerks and the
boards of registry and elections.
A candidate, in order to have his name
placed upon the official ballot, secures the
support of ten voters of his district, and has
them sign the petition requesting the town
ship clerk to put his name upon the ticket.
The candidate thereupon indorses his accept
ance upon this petition, and the same is
then filed with the clerk. The petitioners
in this cause must be confined to the party
OF that political convention Of which the
person named in the petition is candidate
for delegate. From these petitions the
clerk makes up an official ballot, arranging
the names OF the candidates in alphabetical
order, under the title of the various con-
ventions in which they wish to vote as
delegates.
The delegates have the right, if they
DESIRE to have printed opposite their names
the name of the person for whom they pro-
pose to vote in convention. In this way
the voter at the primary is enabled to cast
his vote directly for his party candidate for
State Senator, Congressman or Governor, as
the case may be. The abuse incident to
the present primary system of naming the
delegates at the convention without in
struction, or who would totally misrepes-
sent the wishes of his constituents when
sitting in convention, is easily remedied
under the new act. Where several delegates
indicate the same choice as to candidates
before a convention, these delegates, under
the act, are grouped together in an official
primary ballot.
On primary day, which, to save expense,
is made the first registry day in the cities
arbitrarily fixed in the law as the second
Tuesday in September, the voter goes to
the polling place to register, and having
registered, asks the board of registry and
election for an official ballot of the party in
whose primary he wishes to vote, then re-
tires to a booth, as on election day, marks
off all the names on the official ballot
except for those for whom he desires to
vote, and casts his ballot in the Republican
or Democratic primary ballot box, as the
case may be, under the direction of the Re-
publican members of the board of registry
if he votes in the Republican primary and
under the direction of the Democratic mem
beers of the board Of registry, if he votes in
a Democratic primary.
In rural districts and in cities under
10000 inhabitants the boards of registry
and election sit for the purpose of registra-
ton and primary elections on the second
Tuesday in September, as in cities. The
act provides that previous to this time a
regular house to house canvas for the pur-
pose of registration be made, as heretofore.
The boards of registry and election sit from
2 O'Clock in the afternoon until o'clock in
the evening for these purposes. After the
primary they count and canvass the votes
and then issue certificates in proper form tc
the parties receiving the highest number Of
votes, and also file the same with the
municipal clerks. These certificates serve
as the credentials of the delegates at the
: various conventions and are determened by
the party organization at will. The con
, ventions nominate the candidates as al
present
The convention system IS preserved fol
! all candidates 20 be voted for by district.
, comprising more than one ward or town
, ship. In case the candidate is to be voted
for by the votes of a single ward or town
ship, he is nominated at the primary
directly and without intervention of dele
; gates.
The primaries under the new act are con
fined to the voters of the several political
, parties A Republican votes in Republic
can primary. In case the voter who de
, sres to vote in Republican primary is
: challenged, he must before voting take
, oath or affirmation that he is a member OIL
! the Republican party; that at the last cleo
, ton for members of assembly at which be
voted, he voted for majority of the candi-
dates whose names were printed upon the
party ticket OF said party, and that he
intends to support the candidates of the
said party at the ensl ing election; in case
of any voter for the first time in this State,
the portion of the said oath or affirmation
in reference to previous voting shall be dis
pensed with.
The boards of registry and election indi-
cate in the registry book the name of the
political party whose primary ticket each
voter voting at such primary election voted
by writing opposite the name of such voters,
in column prepared for that purpose in
such registry book, the first letter of the
name of such political party, as, for ex-
ample: writing the letter d for Democratic
party, and the letter r for Republican
party and the letter for Prohibition
party and in like manner for other political
parties. This constitutes practically a
party enrolment.