The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-01-28
THE WILCOX
ELECTION LAW
SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES PRO-
POSED IN AN ACT INTRODUCED
BY THE DELEGATE.

Capes of the new election law in
troduced in the House by Delegate
Wilcox were received from Washing
ton in the last mail. The law conti-
nues the present system of secret ball
loting with some quite radical changes,
and provides for different kind of bal
lot and polling place. The first new
feature of the law is a provision re-
garding precincts as follows:
whenever the convenience of voters
may so require, the governor and the
secretary of the Territory shall set
apart two or more precincts in each
district, of which there shall be as
many as shall be sufficient to make the
number of votes polled at any one cleo
ton precinct to be not more than two
hundred, as nearly as can be ascertain
ed; and each precinct so. established
shall have its separate polling place:
Provided, That no change shall here
after be made as to the boundaries Of
any precincts within thirty days of an
election" The present law makes the
limit sixty days, and does not contain
anything about there being only 200
voters In precinct.
The law as to judges, inspectors and
| clerks is changed to provide for two Of
| each in each precinct to be appOrtioned
| equally between the two parties polling
| the highest vote at the preceding cleo
ton, such inspectors, clerks and judges
/ to constitute a board of election in the
precinct. The present law provides for
| three inspectors of election In each pre-
| cinct to be appointed from opposing
| parties 'as far as practicable The
! Wilcox law says:
mo person shall be eligible to act as
an officer of election at any precinct
who has been employed i'm any official
capacity in the district in the Territory
| within ninety days next preceding any
| election. Any person who refuses "a
act upon such board, or as clerk
/ thereof, after proper notification of his
appointment, who Is otherwise eligible
/ unless good and sufficient cause for
such refusal is shown to the election
board or to the governor, shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon
conviction shall be subject to a fine OF
| five hundred dollars, and upon failure
to pay said person shall be imprisoned
for the period of one day for each one
| dollar of said fine. The inspector may
appoint judges and clerks If, during the
progress of an election, any judge OF
| clerk ceases to act"
In stead of two ballot boxes and two
sets of ballot, the proposed law provides
for only one, to be marked Genera
Tickets" and instead of providing thai
the secretary of the Territory shall
furnish ballot boxes 1t says; All Off
GERS upon whom is imposed by the
provisions of this law or any subse'
0uent law of the Territory of Hawai-
the duty of designating polling places
shall cause such polling places to b'
provided suitably provided with bal
lot box" and shall also provide suitable
compartments for voters. The voting
regulations are unchanged, except tina
it is provided that the stamps witt
which marks of ballots are made shall
be all one piece with an Y on both end
and not rubber stuck on. The fol
lowing is an amepdment to the section
as to opening and closing of polls:
Strike out eight of the clock upor
the morning and insert in lieu thereo
seven of the clock upon the morning
/ The entire provision for different bal
lots for Senators and representative!
is proposed to be stricken out and il
place thereof the Wilcox bill says;
There shall be provided at each poll
ing place at each election at which
public officers are voted for but on
form of ballot for all the candidates fo
public office, and every ballot sinai
contain the names of all the candidate
whose nominations for any office specl
fed on the ballot have been duly mad
and not withdrawn, as provided in thi
, Act. together with the title of the oftic
arranged in tickets under the titles
| the respective political parties as Ger
titled in the certificates of nomination
The list of candidates of the severa
parties shall be printed in parable
= columns, each column to be headed b,
the party name in such order as tn
secretary of the territory may direct
precedence, however being given to tn
party which polled the highest numbe
of votes for Delegate to Congress at tn
! last preceding general election for sue
officer, and so on"
The bill was referred to the Hous
) committee on Territories, and ordere
: printed