Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-04-14

Congress. Senators and Representa-.
tiycs to The Legislature Of the Terri.
tory of Hawaii arc the only officers OF
tina. Government elected by the poo
pie. The Secretary OF State and cleo
ton officers of Hawaii, having attempt
ed to follow the election law In tho
choice of Delegate with the apparent
consent Of the several candidates for
that Office. are bound by that law.
Numbering Ballots.
e They should not he permitted to In.
woke Il for one purpose and reject II
for another. So far as II goes II In
the ballot shall bear no word. motto
device, sign. or symbol other than nj.
lowed therein. and shall be so printed
that the type shall not show trace
ON the back: and IL ballot contains
my mark or symbol contrary to tho
prov islons therein set forth II must be
rejected, and otherwise carefully
guards and protects the secrecy Of the
ballot. II has no provision for mum.
boring the ballots. or implied author
lty 80 far as your committee can dis
cover. However. In the year 1903 the
ballots prepared for the County cleo
ton did contain numbers. Those were
on the sides of and separated from
the main parts Of the ballots by per.
forated lines. This was done to avoid
substltutions and perhaps other posi-.
bllitles Of fraud or irrcgularlty. and
according TO the evidence they proved
satisfactory and tended toward hon.
est elections. In the preparation of
the ballots for the general election OF
1904 the Secretary Of State adopted
the same plan 80 far as numbering
was concerned. But the numbers
were rot placed In the same relative
! positions.
Identifying Ballots.
The ballots were printed and put uT
In raids OF 100 each and numbered In
sequences from to 100. Clear across
the top of each ballot and separating
II from Its stub was distinctly per
fora;cd line, and n number of sucl
stub Corrcsponded with the number
on TIE upper rlght.hand corner Of tho
ballot. separated from the balance o
Il by less distinctly perforated lines
4 II was the intention that the bnllo
should he torn on from the stub or
suCn large perforated line. But this
, by mistake of tho election officers
was not done In all Instances. Tn,
two numbers. one on the stub and OnC
on the upper rlghthand corner of tn,
ballot proper. were liable to lead Il
confusion and mistakes ON the part %
election officers, some of whom natur
ally had not much experience an,
were not particularly instructed as I,
thclI duty. when an elector was civ
On n ballot his name was put down OF
the poll list, and his number, whlcl
was apt Ia correspond with the las
figures on his ballot number. II Il
therefore clear that II the humble
were not removed from the ballot be
fore dcpOsltlng Il In the box the iden
tity OF his vote could be determined b,
the election officers or other person
who afterwards examined the ballot
and poll lists, and the secrecy of tn
ballot was violated. This was admit
ted by contesteo's counsel. II was tn
Intention of the Secretary of State tina
the number In the upper rlght.han
corner Of tho ballot should he remove,
before such ballot was deposited Il
tho box, for the instructions sent on
by Lin 20 the voters and election OIL
GERS alike contained this provision:
Before leaving the compartment
the voter Is To refOld his ballot jus
ms he received II from the chairman
and thus folded deliver II to the II
spcCtor of election In charge of III
ballot box and announce his name. A
ter his name Is checked on the rcgli
ter, the inspector shall remove tn
perforated slip, so that the ballot sha
have no mark OF Identification, an
then deposit II In the ballot box"
II The perforated slip" here rcferre
To Is clearly intended to be the perfo
ated slip In the upper rlght.hand co
ner. This perlOratlon Is not so dl
tine as the one across the top of III
, ballot dividing Il from the stub, an
| II was claimed by contestants cOul
, sci that II was MOI In fact perfor
, ton, but an indentatiOn. However,
! is very frequently spoken Of by wi
Z nesses for both parties as 'perfor
. ton and perforated line" u
r sides, II the number were lott on n
o ballot II would contain mark of ide
!, tihcatlon, which the instruction sougl
!. to guard against.
A AN Numbered Ballots Void.
r In many Of tho precincts the eio
/ ion officers, by miscOnception of Il
:, law and directions. did not detach Il
4 numbers In the upper right'hand GO
4 ners of the ballots before deposltlf
|, them In the boxes. OF those ballO
= 5,l27 were cast. In the afternoon
! election day the Secretary OF sta
q learned that at some of the preCinc
II ballots were being deposited with Il
| numbers on, and he Immediately u
n Ilnnl Tho Dlnnllnn OH nnrn IL 9 fnr Nc M