Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-08-01
THOSE VOTING MACHINES.
Opposition TO Them Everywhere in the
County-The Taxpayers do not
Want Them.

The opposition of the people of the
county to the action of the Board of
Supervisors in purchasing and adopt
ing voting machines for use in the
county is becoming more apparent
every day. Mass meetings are being
held, resolutions adopted, and men
are discussing the situation ON our
streets and everywhere throughout the
county, and if we are any judges,
the people are unanimously opposed
to the purchase and to the use of these
machines. We have yet to hear the
first man express himself favorably to
the action of the board in this matter
1t is freely asserted that one member
of the board voted for the resolution
of June 9Th, authorizing the Chairman
to take the machines ION trial at the
November election as proposed by
said company under the belief that in
so voting he was not in any way bind
ing the county to purchase such
machines. but merely taking them as
he understood it for experimental pur-
poses, whereas, the contract as signed
up evidences an absolute barter and
sale. We are at loss to understand
how out of this misunderstanding can
grow a valid contract, especially if
the board should take seasonable steps
to rectify the matter.
We have vet to learn of the first
saving grace with reference to these
machines. 1t has been indisputably
shown that the money which it is
claimed may be saved through their
use is much more than counterbalanced
by the loss through interest on the
original investment, to say nothing of
the original cost of the machines.
All the estimates we have seen as to
cost of holding elections by use of
the machines have been based on the
theoretical minimum, experience
may develop quite different figures,
and it is not an impossibility that
the costs merely of holding an election
once every two years with these
machines. to say nothing of interest
and original cost, will be found by
experience to be more than under the
present method. Wear and tear,
depreciation, setting up. storage, in
structions, etc. all will come in sooner
or later for their share of tribute,
but even if we were to cOncede that
the cost of the merely mechanical
part of an election were less with the
machines. again leaving out interest
and original investment, than by the
ballot method, still the conclusion
must be against the machines, for
under the former method every dollar
of expense was distributed to our
own people, whereas with the ma
chimes the original cost and interest
money is taken from the pockets of
the people of Winnesheik county,
! transferred TO the Golfers Of New
York corporation and never returns
| again.
1t is also true that he use of these
machines will tend to complicate
election machinery and confuse the
voter. We are Just becoming familiar
with the Australian Ballot and tn G
removal of the circle on the part of
our last legislature has tended fur
ther to simplify the matter, aud to in
complicated mechanical continuance
seems to us decidedly step backward.
Every voter knows how to use a
pencil and it's very simple matter
| to instruct him. IL necessary, as to the
marking. but it's quite different
proposition where to get his ballot In
| SHape 10 Is COmp6lleu I'D pull wv
levers and then set keys over each can
didate he chooses to vote for and then
swing another lever to register his
vote. We suspicion there would be
many blanks voted owing to the fact
that many would raise the keys over
the names TO a horizontal position
before swinging the registering lever.
| We understand many will refuse tC
vote and that some precincts will re-
fuse to use the machines. The voter
values his privilege of suffrage, but
he wants to know just how he is ex'
ercising it, and his attachment for the
printed ballot is not entirely senti.
mental When he gets it marked he
knows how it is and he knows it enters
the poll box just that way, where he
fixes few keys and turns lever and
calls it voting. he misses the satisfac-
ton of knowing how he has voted OF
whether he has voted at all or not
He has seen nothing registered and
can only hope that he had the keys
fixed the way he wanted them and
that it registered his vote correctly
his knowledge is bounded by the front