East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-08-08
PORTLAND WANTS
VOTING MACHINES
ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE
TO PASS \ BILL.
senator Beach. of Multnomah County,
VIII Champion the Measure and
Has Secured Valuable Statistics Con-
corning Machines-Cost of Elections
Are Greatly Reduced by Them.

While the voting machine Is said TO
be highly complicated and easily dis
arranged, as we'll as being a fruitful
source of fraud in the hands of skill
full manipulators, yet it greatly re-
duces the cost of elections and an at
tempt will be made to install them In
Portland after this year.
Senator Beach, of Multnomah coun-
ty. will make an effort TO pass a vot- |
ing machine bill at the next session of
the legislature. The Telegram says
of the voting machine agitation;
An effort will be made to have the
next election in Multnomah county
handled by voting machines To this
end measure will be introduced in
the coming legislative session by State
tor s. r. Beach. since law is neces-
sary to enable the use of the appara-
| tus.
While a member of the lower house
several years ago Senator Reach ad
vocated the installation of voting ma
| chimes, but at that time his bill called
for all counties to adopt them. This
time the measure will be drafted diff
ferently and it will be optional with
each county whether or not 1t desires
buying mechanical voting boxes.
| Under the present system Portland
will hereafter have two elections each
year-the primary, which is a full
fledged election, and the regular cleo
ton following. There is municipal
election every two years, with the
other with the other elections in be-
tween. so that until the system is al
tered local politics will be one con-
tinuous round. The primaries and
municipal election cost Multnomah
county about $4,000 a year. At this
rate. says Senator Beach. the county
would have its machines paid for in
two years, or less. The price of ma
chimes varies from $50 TO $500.
Among the chief advantages to be
gained by the use of voting machines
is the decrease in the election eXpen-
ses and the absolute elimination of
such heart-breaking contests as re-
Gently developed over the fight for
the office of sheriff.
The result in a precinct can be
known within one minute after the
polls are closed. In Milwaukee last
year the entire city returns were re-
ceived complete and tabulated 40
minutes after the polls closed. On the
machine there can be no defective
ballots, nor ballots with distinguishing
marks
. In the line of expense there are two
important items which the machine
L saves. The first is the printing OF
thousands of official ballots, and the
= second is the saving in salary of the
second election hoard.
At present, two complete election
boards are required. each consisting
Of five men. One works during the
day and the other at night. With the
machines one board will suffice. since
the moment the polls are closed it is
only necessary to take off the regis.
tered totals, thus doing away with
the tedious counting of ballots. The
saving by the printing of ballots anC
the sAcond election board would b,
considerable.
Another saving can be effected b.
reducing the number of precincts, anC
consequently the number of election
boards. The machine can count 100
votes as rapidly as 300 Australian bal
lots can be passed by hand. This vii
/ enable the consolidation Of two an
TX three precincts, where the population
m is dense, and the machine with a sin
81 gle election board, will do the wor
Of 80 men, resulting in the saving Q
the wages of 25 judges and clerk!
Senator Beach estimates that abou
40 machines can take care of the Q
precincts in Multnomah county.
Voting machines are used in 4
\ cities in New York. Buffalo has 20
de precincts. which are taken care of b
n 1l2 machines, which save that cit
II $4,000 every year. These machine
are considered as an investment bring
{ ing % per cent. Schnectady realize
az IS per cent and Rochester IS pc
na cent. The machines also do ava
or with hauling, constructing and repa
% Of the present wooden booths, a cor
siderable item Of expense in itself.
An absolute secret ballot is cast b
the machine, for the apparatus worl
D.. only when the curtains are close.
these forming part of the mechanism
- The labor, Of the election board
nominal. 1t being practically conflne
. to one of the judges pulling a strir