The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-27
I. HOW TO VOTE.
Advice for People Who Cast
Their Ballots.
"Keep Out Of Circle" Will Be
the Slogan.
OPPOSITE THE NAMES.
Mark Only Those for Whom
You Desire to Vote.
Governor Bailey Says Ballot
Should be Simpl.fied.

published a copy of the official ballot
as it will be voted in Shawnee county,
voters have been experimenting to see
if they can vote without making any
mistakes. 1t is no easy matter and
yet a man of average intelligence
should be able to do it by being care
full.
The first thing to remember is that
you must keep out of the circle at the
top of the tickets unless you wish to
vote for every man upon a certain
ticket In that case cross in the cir
Gle fixes it. but if you make a mark
in the circle ana then one anywhere
else on the ballot at all it kills the
whole ballot.
If you want to vote a mixed ticket
you must make a cross in the square
after the name of each man for whom
you want to vote. If you want to vote
for every Republican on the state tick
ct except Kelly you make mark after
the name of each candidate except that
of Kelly. If you wish to vote for Do
ian in opposition to Kelly, you simply
go across into the Democratic column
and put a cross after Dolan'S name.
If you want to vote against the men,
berS of the school fund commission
the same rule applies.
There must be no other marks what
ever on the ballot. Do not try to cross
out any names.
The ballot will not be quite as hard
to vote this year as it was two years
ago, and therefore there will not be
as many spoiled ballots. 1t is estimated
that there were at least $4,000 spoiled
ballots two years ago, and four-fifths
caused by the fact that there were
squares after the words. mo Nomina-
tion," on the fusion tickets, and a
mark in square of that kind invali-
dated the whole ballot. The Republic
can tickets were nearly all full, while
in most counties there were blanks on
the Populist and Democratic tickets in
which the words mo Nomination"
1t was a veritabte trap for
voters.
This year the square is not printed
on the ballot except after names. SO
the danger of two years ago is re-
There will probably not be
nearly as many spoiled ballots this
years as two years ago.
The ballot is still wonderfully COM
BILE everywhere in Kansas. The -attor-
ney generals office is constantly re-
ceiving Inquiries regarding it.
Voting should be made as simple as
possible said Governor Bailey today, !
in looking over the ballot, 7'but it is
really made difficult. 1t ought to be |
made an easy matter for a man to vote |
as he wants to without running the |
danger of losing his vote. I don't be- |
ieve in changing the ballot law too Of |
ten, but l think we ought to adopt the |
New York plan of voting a straight |
ticket In that state if man makes a /
cross in the circle it is a vote for every I
nan ON that ticket unless he takes a
notion to go over and vote for some |
candidate on another ticket by putting |
cross in the square after the candi-
late's name. That is any easy matter
and a simple way of recording his
,hoice. If we had that plan in Kan
las a voter who wishes to scratch just
wo or three men on his ticket could do
10 Simply by voting for the opponents
If the men he wished to scratch, and
lie could vote for all the balance of his
icket by simply marking in the cir
lie. I think we ought to adopt that
,lan in Kansas and then leave the bal
OF law alone"