Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-03-07

REGARDING CITY ELECTIONS
Every Candidate Must Run
for Office Under His
True Colors.

District Attorney E. C. Abbott
holds that the election law of 1906.
applies to city elections the same as
| it does to territorial and county elec'
tions. He admits, however. there are
dubious points as far as its applica--
| ton to city elections is concerned. In
view of this fact, synopsis nf the
law Is timely.
The first paragraph provides that it
Is unlawful for candidates named by
one political convention to be named
by another: in other words. every
candidate has to run under his true
colors and cannot have his name
printed on the Republican ballot and
also on the Democratic or half doz-
en- other ballots. The names of the
candidates nominated by any political
convention must be filed with the pro
bate clerk of the county who alone
has the authority to have ballots
printed. 1t shall be unlawful for any
one else to print such ballots. The
act does not prohibit scratching of
any ticket, however, each voter hay
ing the privilege to erase any name
on the ticket and substitute there
for the name of any other person, ev-.
en- if that other persons name ap-
pears on some other ballot.
For Party EmbIems.
The second paragraph provides for
the filing of the party emblem with
the territorial secretary within thirty
days after the passage Of the act.
which was approved March 16, 1905.
by the territorial chairman Of each
party Any territorial convention of
each party may change the emblem
of its party by adopting another not
in use by any other political party.
Political parties are prohibited from
selecting emblems that resemble those
of another party. II such emblem has
not been fled with the territorial sec.
retary then any convention or primary
of such party may select an emblem
but it is the duty OF the first terri
torial convention held thereafter to
adopt and file such emblem.
The third paragraph provides for
the printing of the ballots at the ex.-
pense of the county by the county re-
corder. 1t also provides that no per-
son shall accept a nomination to more
than one Office or from more than one
political party. Every ballot shall be
headed with the party emblem. All
ballots shall be on the same grade of
paper and of the same size and each
must be endorsed on the back with a
facsimile signature Of the county re-
corder.
Any person violating this act shall
be deemed guilty of felony, punish.
ment for conviction Of which, Is to be
from one to five years In the peniten.
tiary.
Not a Prohibitive Measure.
This act does not prohibit independ.
ent tickets, as is popularity supposed.
for any primary or convention can
adopt party name and emblem, as
long as the emblem Of some other par.
ty is not adopted and the
names of candidates on some
other ticket are not printed
on the independent ballot. The aim
of the law is to prevent the deception
of voters who cannot read, as we'll as
to overcome the tendency toward
fraud under the old law, under which
it occurred that the candidates Of one
party were at times printed under the
emblems of the opposing party.
In other respects, the law Of 1903
prevails which provides for biennial
city elections on the first Tuesday Of
April of even numbered years, at which
a mayor, city clerk, city treasurer,
and one alderman and one member Of
the Board of Education from each
ward, shall be elected, the city Off
GERS to hold office for two years and
aldermen and school directors for four
years.
Upon other matters in this connec-.
tion, the provisions Of the Compiled
Laws Of 1897, prevail These make
1t the duty Of the city council to ap.
point the judges and clerks Of the elec.
ton and to designate the polling
places. The returns Of the election
shall be made to the city clerk and
shall be opened by him on the third
day after the election In the pres
ence Of the mayor. or If the latter was
a candidate In the presence of a JUS,