The independent., 1903-07-02
THE EFFECTIVE BALLOT
The second Instaimsnt Of Mr.. wakefisld's
Discussion

DdIiOl Was ucNAScu Uy ClT JOHu mart,
q noted publicist of England, In 1916.
. T. was later improved in details by
Sir John Lubbock, the eminent sci
enlist, and yet later perfected by Hon.
Alfred Cridge of San Francisco, hence
is often called the Hare-Cridge meth
cd of voting The Misses Harriet and
Helen Spence, of Adelaide, South Aus
tralia, have added few finishing
touches and have been mainly instru-
mental in securing its adoption and
practical test as the legal system in
Tasmania, New Zealand and South
Australia, where 1t has fully justified
the high claims of its advocates. 1t
has also been used in some Of the
Swiss cantons and municipalities go
successfully as to clearly demonstrate
its great superiority over the older
and cruder forms of proportional rep
.esentation and Is coming into use in
Denmark, Belgium and some English
and Scotch municipalities and in cor
porations.
The effective ballot is not only the
most perfect form of proportional rep
resentation. but represents the will
of the individual voter as no other sys-
tenn does. 1t is also the most secret
of all ballots and renders bribery, in
timidation, ETC., Of voters impossible.
A false count is scarcely possible un-
der it, as will be readily seen when
1t is carefully studied. Experience
shows the counting to be very rapid
and free from errors.
NO SINGLE DISTRICTS.
Being a form of proportional repre-
sentation, the effective ballot is not
adapted to single districts, but re-
quires, as all forms of proportional
representation must do, elections at
large, or in districts from which five
or more candidates are to be elected.
Congressman could be elected at large
in the states having ten or less and in
two or three districts from the mora
populolls states. Representatives in
the legislature and district judges
should be chosen from districts of six
to ten and state senators the same,
while county commissioners, aldermen
of cities, etc., should be at large
Where hut one candidate can be elect
ed, as for president, vice president,
governor, ETC., there is no proportional
representation to require such dis
tricts, yet this method of voting works
effectively in giving all parties
voice in securing majority.
THE METHOD OF. VOTING.
The effective ballot contains the
names of all candidates to be voted
for, like the present Australian bal
7r% Nf &o hn icfr at
or state, ETC., and these names may be
either in party columns as now. or
preferably, in alphabetical order re-
gardless of party, as under the Mary
land law. The latter method might at
first puzzle few illiterate voters, but
would be a great incentive to iniepen-
dent and intelligent voting.
The voter in the booth marks his
ticket, not with an x cross mark, but
with the Arabic numeral figures, plac-
irg the figure one (D opposite his
first choice, or name of candidate he
n.oGt desires elected, the figure op-
posite his second choice, 3 to his third
choice, and SO on to as many candi-
dates as are being voted for. or as
ne cares to mark. OF course he will
make first choice, or No. l, of the
candidate most nearly representing his
own political views, No. 2, or second
choice, of the one who comes next
nearest and so on, not marking for
those squarely opposed to his ideas,
or taking the best of the ones he con-
siders inimical to the public welfare
SO as to defeat the most Objectionable
candidates of that party. A mans
political prejudice may induce him to
vote for an incompetent or corrupt
candidate in his own party. but in his
srcond, ETC., choices from other par
ties he will always select the least
Objectionable candidates. Ten years
experience in Tasmania shows that
other than first choice ballots invar-
lably defeat the most Objectionable
candidates and has compelled all par
ties to select only good and competent
candidates to stand any show of cleo
tion.
COUNTING THE BALLOTS.
When the polls have closed the
whole number of ballots cast is di-
vided by the number of candidates to
be elected, rejecting any remainder,
which gives the electoral quota. or
number of ballots required to elect
one candidate. A spindle or other
file aS a needle and strong thread an