Arizona republican., 1903-02-20
Voting by Machinery.

The effort which has been made in the house to enact a law to guard against fraud in primary elections makes it timely to suggest that It might be wise for the legislature to give serious attention to the general subject of ballot reform. So long as the present system of voting is fol- lowed it is doubtful. perhaps, whether the existing law providing for the Aus tralian ballot could be improved. But it has been demonstrated that the best method yet devised for registering the will of the voter. and the best means of safeguarding the ballot box against fraud is the voting machine. The only objection that can he raised against these machines is their cost. What their use made compulsory the aggre- gate expense for the territory would be heavy, of course, and under TO circumstances would it be wise to re- quire their use. But the legislature might very wisely authorize the cities and towns of the territory to install voting machines should they wish to do So at any time. Such legislation would be in harmony with the progressive spirit Of the times.
 .. We have yet to hear of case where the machines have not given eminent satisfaction. In the city of Milwaukee they have tried voting machines. and with such success that the Australian ballot system is to be abandoned. The voting machine was given a fair and impartial trial in one of the cosfnopol- itan wards of Milwaukee and it full filled all requirements. So successful was the trial that Mayor Rose. at first a bitter enemy of voting machines. was forced to admit that he was wrong and that the machine alone gave a correct return of the votes cast. The claims made for the machine are: it pre- vents the possibility of spoiled or de- fective ballot, it enables the unedu- cated voter to cast his ballot with as much freedom, ease and security as the most educated: it insures the counting of every ballot exactly as it is cast; it enables the election officers to an nounce the entire vote for every candi- date the moment the polls close; it renders impossible any dispute or con test over the returns and in most cases, it is claimed, reduces the expense Of conducting elections enough to pay for rTz,. ward in Milwaukee was chosen as the best place in which to make the test Most of the Polish vote was in that ward and yet college professors and some of the most learned men in the Badger state vote there as well.
 The result of the test was marvel ous. Voters almost unable to write their names or read them after they were written, by the new system were able to vote as quickly and with as much confidence and accuracy as the expert accountant or the man who could scratch a ticket with his eyes blindfolded. One hundred votes were cast in one hour. proving beyond ques-
 
 well as accuracy. The polls closed at seven o'clock and it was just three minutes later when ore precinct re- ported the final result The last pre- cinct was reported at 7:30. In wards where the machine was not used some of the precincts were not heard from until the next morning. When the ccr- rect figures, giving the result cf the Thirteenth ward were posted, it was found that a democrat had been elected to the general assembly by d ma ajority of 111 votes, while the head of the ticket had gone republican by 200 ma jority. This proved conclusively that majority of the votes cast were split tickets and also tended to prove the simplicity of the machine.
 The voting machine is in use now if Among the cities and towns in New York which have adopted the machine are Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Fl mira. Attica, Auburn, Poughkeepsie Oswego, Jamestown. Niagara Falls Itaica. Rome, Schnectady and Ainster dam. There are 1,i61 cities and towns i'll all. In November last it vas als' used in the Eighteenth election pre- cinct of the First assembly district il the borough of Brooklyn, N. Y, witt entire success.