Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-22
FOR DIRECT
PRIMARIES
An important Measure 10 introduced
in the Legislature by Senator
John D. Waite.
WILL GO THROUGH THE SENATE
When Passed, viii Take Effect When
Qualified Electors Of Any Coun-
ty Have Adopted It.

Helena, Feb. Ex-senator John D.
Waite, of Fergus county, is the in
PRODUCER of the direct primary law that
is now in the hands of the senate COM
mittee on elections and privileges, and
this is looked upon as the measure
that is to be pushed through the up
per house.
Section 2 of the bill provides that
the county, except as otherwise pro
vided by the measure, and all dele
gates to county conventions shall be
nominated: /, by primary held UNI
der the provisions of the act; ?, by
nomination papers, signed and filed
as provided by existing statutes. The
act does not apply to special cleo
tons to fill vacancies, nor to United
States senators, members Of congress,
state officers, town, village or school
district officers, nor to judicial Off
GERS, excepting police magistrates and
justices of the peace in cities.
September Primary
me september pllilldIH Sudll ne
held at the regular polling places in
each precinct the first Tuesday o.
September prior TO the November gen
eral election. Any other primary
shall be held two weeks before the
election for which it is held. Sixty
days before the date of the September
primary the county clerk must pub
lish a notice designating the Offices
for which candidates are to be nomi-
mated. In case of city elections, the
notice is to be given by the city clerk.
The name of no candidate shall lie
printed on the official primary ballot
unless at least thirty days, except in
case of city election, prior to the
primary a nomination paper shall
have been fled in his behalf Each
signer of nomination paper shat!
sign only one such paper for the same
office, and shall declare that he in
tends to support the candidate named.
The siSners OF each separate nominal
ton paper shall reside in the same
precinct. With each nomination pa
per shall be filed an AFFIDAVIT OF some
qualified elector who shall state that
he is personally acquainted with all
those signing the paper, and know 5
them to be electors in their precinct,
and that they signed the paper on the
dates set opposite their names.
Signing Nomination Papers.
These nomination papers shall be
signed: If for nomination Of candi-
dates for county office, other than
delegates to county convention, by at
least three per cent of the party vote
in at least One-siXth Of the election
precincts of such county and in the
-,
of the total vote of his party in the
county: if for nomination of candi
dates for delegates to the county con.
VentiOn, by at least three per cent OF
the party vote in the precinct OF the
candidate.
Provision is also made for the filing
of nominations of non-partisan candi-
dates or for the candidate OF a part Y
that had no candidates at the proceed
ing election.
The county clerk must, twenty-five
days before the primary, publish list
of all persons for whom nominations
have been filed. The clerk must also
prepare the official ballots and dis
tribute them to the precincts prl-
mary polls are to be open in cities
from noon to 9 O'clock and in all 9th.
GER precincts from | to m. Sue
ceeding sections of the bill make pro-
vision for the voting and canvassine
of the returns.
County conventions are to be held
after the September primary to elect
delegates to the state convention
adopt platform and elect central
committee.
Must be Adopted.
After making provisions in all de-
tails for the matters set forth the bal
proceeds to say that it shall not take
effect in any county until the act shall
nave been submitted to and adopted,
by the qualified electors of the coun.
ty. Upon application by petition OF
Is per cent of the total vote cast for
justice Of the supreme court at the
last general election in that county,
the board of county commissioners is
directed to order a special election for
the adoption or rejection of the pri-
mary law.
These petitions must be considered
by the commissioners at a regular
quarterly meeting and they must COM
pare the names Of the signers with
tnose on the last general registration
INST OF the county. The question may
De submitted, on separate ballots, ut
any general election, when petitioned
Tor. as above set out. No other cleo.
tlon on such question must be held
IN the same county oftener than once
in two years.