Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-12-12
PRIMARY ELECTION BILL.
Senator Crossley Will Again Introduce a
Primary Election Bill in the
Iowa Legislature.


legislature by his primary bills, au-
thorizes the statement that he will in
troduce another primary bill at the
coming session. Senator Crossley has
not completed the draft of his new
primary bill, but he says it will con-
tain the following features of primary
nominations:
Statewide in scope
Nominations by plurality vote.
Include nomination of all officers
from township clerks to United States
senators.
Provide for party conventions to
adopt platforms and select delegates
to district and state conventions.
That is as far as Senator Crossley
has made public the provisions of his
new bill. but it will undoubtedly
also include some of the following
additional features of his bill before
the last Legislature.
All parties to hold primaries on
the same day, second Tuesday in
August, biennially.
Registration of party affiliation of
voters required on general election
poll books.
! Voters who fail to thus register
party may file affidavits of affiliation
30 days before primary.
County, district and state conven-
tions to canvass result Of primaries for
their respective parties.
General election officers to be the
officers for the primary election in
same year.
Primary law to apply to municipal
officers in cities of more than 5000
population.
Expenses of primary to be paid, halt
by the county and half by the state.
Penalties for violation of primary
law, bribery. etc., to be the same as
under the general election law.
Senator Clossley introduced his
primary bill the second day of the
last session, it being senate file No.
.. He was thus the originator of the
primary movement which excited the
entire state. The original Crossley
plurality bill was defeated in the
senate on February 81 by vote of q
yeas to 20 nays, the republicans being
divided on the bill, while the demo.
Gratis voted almost solidly against it,
Then believing that the sentiment of
the Legislature was at least in favor
of county optional primary, Senator
Crossley introduced another primary
bill on March II, making the nomina
tion of officers by direct vote optiona
with the counties of the state Thi
second Crossley bill was likewis
defeated in the senate on March 80
but came within two votes of having
a constitutional majority. The vote Oh
the second Crossley bill stood, "a yea
to 16 nays. but 26 votes were necessary
for its passage through the senate
The house also defeated all primar,
bills that came before it at the las
session without much debate, tn,
principal discussion on the bill
occurring in the senate.
Senator Crossley now believes tha
a statewide plurality primary j
demanded by the voters of Iowa, an,
he will accordingly reintroduce hi
first bill with such minor changes a
he has deemed advisable. Sen
ator Crossley is undoubtedly the bes
informed man in the state on primar.
legislation, having spent over fou
years in a careful study of the subject
He also introduced a primary election
bill in the legislature of 1904. it be
ing defeated in the senate of that ses
sion by vote of 10 yeas to % nays.
n