Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-15

Special assignment:
| Pill, relating to conduct of elections.
Pill relating to shelves in VotlnS
| places.
MIR. MOREY: Mr.. Speaker, Two bills
have been pres ante1 for consideration
and they may be considered together
both tabled by the gentleman lrori
Lewiston (Mr. O'BrIep) last evening
1t is an import mt matter as Ii alIect9
the question of the secrecy of the Aus
tralian ballot law. The Cplect ol pi'i
numbered IA is TO make the balio-
I secret cannot conceive now uNder No
IA. the bill presented by Mr.. > t'fle4l'
il can be Il secret nlelhod OF NotihS'
No 31i provides that the compartments
be turned around, that they be reduced
IN height until thcy are five 1eet only
| from The .lOOr. the TOP OF the pootit.
The objections to tn" bill, on the
ground that it is not secret balloL
are these. you will remember that NJ
side of the guard rall the booths are
50 arranged at present that they lafc
the guard rail. The election officer WI"
is inside tn, guard rail frequently STEPS
nm behind tn shoulder Of the man VIM
is; voting and thus has al opportunity
to see. how he 8 voting. Now these
commandments ale turned around. IheE
are but FIVE rcet in height. There is no
rru,ision made to KEEP the election Of
fcer from goin; IN behind these COM
partlneuts aud watching. as he did be
fore the marking Of the tallotS.
Suppose a man tax $ i'll two men. for
| instance, a w:,:d hc>ic:- takes in two
men and it is his businss IS To ma "ht
how these nen vote. He takes them
| in behind tnas, cOmpaltm lncy
| are FIVE feet in height. 50 he can look
over to the man marking the ball"t
He can turn his head a;id see the man
marking his ballot i'll the other com
partmcnt. Thrre is no provision thai
would keep him from seeing how his
neichbor marked on the side or Che 9TH
or. 1t takes away what little secrecy
there is in the present ballot law.
In addition to that The election officer
who has TIL" right 20 go behind th''
COMMITMENTS can also look over the
shoulder of the voter and see how the
ballot is marked Tell me how bill 5ii
can in any way promote the secrecy
| If the ballot
Now. bill No. a. PROV ides that the
shelves shall remain facing the quart
rail as they are now. and that the COM
partlnen:s shall be built out and a
swing door placed facirS the guar,
| rail. The vot." goes into this enclosure
and the door is shut after him. He is
with himself his conscience and his
ballot. 1t is aa absolutely secret SyS-
| TEN. 1t is We'll known that there is 2
| call for a really secret ballot in this
state. Men from one party or the other
| perhaps do nor desire to vote for some
one man on tie ticket. Under the pres
ent system or under bill No. 51i. for
| fear that they would be seen in the
process of cutting. they would vote tho
whole opposition ticket for the purpose
| of getting back at ono man on the
| ticket One Of these bills is absolutely
| secret the other has no secrecy about
| It: and ~ hen ynu vote uron this Ques-
| ton 7 ask you to give it your care
| full attention. it is matter to promote
| the efficiency Of the secret ballot. This
| hill would do it. There is not as I can
see an objectirnal thing about it. The
| other method invites persons to go be-
| hind those compartments and to see
and report. t. take in and purchase
| and sell the voters whom they can cor
rupt for that purpose.
Mr.. O'BEIEN OF Lewiston: NJ.
Speaker. HOUSE bill No. IA was intro
duced here I believe come day in the
first of February. I introduced it AM,