The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-27
PRESS BUTTON
AND .D|i| CAST VOTE
Politicians Much Interested ii,
Machine Used in Chicago
at Recent Election.
1T WILL PREVENT Re: VI: FRAUDS Z: 4. 2 $;
John Morley Will Recommend
Use Of the New Device
iii Great Britain.
Ut WILL PREVENT FRAUDS
1rron our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. 26.-Politi-
cinns are interested in n voting machine
which was used in Chicago at the recent
election and gave complete satisfaction.
II Is assured that an effort will BIO made
BY the manufacturers Of the machine to
have II adopted In all the States, espe-
cially in the large cities, where there Is
40 much labor involved in counting the
ballots.
A gentleman from Chicago. who Wit
messed the operation Of the machine at
the last election. discussed 1t at length
In the course OF conversation ut tho
Raleigh to-day.
S9 ..The machines were so satisfactory
that the proposition to use them IN all
future elctions in Chicago was carried
Il nv nm overwhelming majority" he said.
.-They had been used previously IN chi
caro- ana the people had an Idea OF their
I value, The proposition as voted simply
/ empowers the authorities to use the vot-
i,n,r ma chincs. but does not require It
Mr.. John Morley. the English writer and
celebrated Liberal leader. witnessed the
,,a,a t,on OF the machines in Chicago on
n ELECTION day and he was 80 pleased VIII
). .hem that he declared he should recon-
4 mend their use in English elections.
Vote in Small Steel Room.
l .-rhe machine In use at one precinct
mounted the vote for President IN one MN
ute. It counted all the vote save for the
/, lerislatiye candidates In ten minutes, sa1ld
the vote for the entire ticket was couhtoo
Il - about twenty minutes. The attorney
for the Board Of Elections says that the
old system Of voting made each eleotion
4 held in Chicago cost the city something
like 5000, whereas the cost II ma
+ chine. are used, need not exceed sl0oooo.
The machines cost from $4Oo to sloo
each. but II purchased In large lots the
oost would be materially less. am IN
favor OF the machines. as they prevent t,
the practice of fraud. absolutely ana
erea tly reduce the cost Of elections.
The voting is nothing more than small
steel room in appearance, but ther Is
great deal Of complicated machinery hid
den an,ay behind the rows Of knobs which
II
the ticket, which he desires to vote. There
Is a door of access and Of exit to the
ROOM in front Of which is a table at
which are seat the clerks OF election.
3 One Of the judges calls the name OF the
Intending voter and when 1t mas been
found on the poll books. the voter enters
the steel ROOM 1t Is quite an easy mat
!. A. ~ stu, hut
when the voter has voted and is In the
ycstibule and desires to return to the room
to repeat, he will find every door locked.
Including the entrance door. 1t is only |
when he has emerged entirely that the |
door of the entrance is again unlocked |
and the voting machinery released,
$As will be seen from the accompanying
illustration, when the voter has entered
the room, he is confronted by rows of
knobs on the wall. arranged in columns.
TO the left Of each column. In large,
legible characters, are the names Of the
men to be voted for, and the Offices for
which they are candidates. under the
names OF their respective parties. The
knobs are colored SO as to enable the !
Illiterate voter .to-yotes as he wishes,
How Hts Done.
The voter who wishes to vote for the
Democratic candidate for the governor
ship say, pushes 1t In tho proper knob
until 1t catches with click. He cannot |
pull It out and vote for that candidate
again. or for any other gubernatorial
candidate, his act OF voting for the one
having locked tho machinery which con-
meets with all the gubernatorial knobs.
Each office voted for can DO voted for
but once. AS soon as The knob is push (
ed one vote Is added automatically to the |
list Of that candidate. and registered, SO
that 1t Is possible to know tho vote of
each candidate at any stage OF the
voting. And the result Is known almost |
~ soon as the polls are closed Trick
cry. even II there be collision among
election officials would be well nigh inn
possible.
Some years ago the representative Of
voting machine manufacturing company !
appeared before committee OF the Vir-