The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-02-14
new ELECTION BALLOT
Color Number Scheme to Be
Used In Wisconsin.
ADVANTAGES CLAIMED FOR IT.

Elimination of All Fraud From the
Polls - Safeguard For IlIiteratc
VcterS-Scductfon of Election Ex-
penSex and Great Saving OF Tine IN
Counting VotcS.
Moncena Dunn, an optician Of Marsh
field, Wis, recently received letters
patent on new form Of ballot invent
ed by him which he says will revolt
tionize the whole voting systems of
the United States.
The ballot consists Of several sheets
Of thin cardboard perforated into cou-
pons and stapled together at the top,
says a Marshfield correspondent Of the
Minneapolis Journal. Each sheet con-
tains the coupons of one party only,
each sheet has a different color, and
the coupons Of each sheet are number
ed consecutively. Each coupon bears
the name Of one candidate for Office.
There is also an envelope or folder,
which may be sealed, having spaces or
pockets designed to receive the cou-
pons voted and numbered to CORE
spond to the coupons. Still another
envelope receives the portions Of the
ballot not used.
The voter to vote a straight ticket
tears off the whole sheet Of coupons
of his chosen party and places them
In the folder. If he splits his vote he
tears from the several sheets the cou-
pons Of his choice and places them in
the pockets corresponding to them in
number.
The advantages claimed for the new
balIot-called the pocket ballot and
coupon voting system"-are that it abb
solutely eliminates all fraud from the
polls, that Independent voting Is as
easy as voting straight ticket, that
It safeguards the illiterate voter by
enabling him to vote intelligently and
by making it impossible for him to
make such mistake as will cause his
ballot to be thrown out at the count
and, In addition, that it will cut down
the expense Of the elections to at least
one-tenth of that of the voting machine
and to many times less than that OF the
present ballot.
The illiterate voter is aided because
he can easily distinguish color and
number, which Is all he needs to do to
vote the new ballot. He cannot put
two coupons in the same pocket, and
when all the pockets are filed with
coupons corresponding to them In num-
Der he knows he is done. Color and
number being the guides, he has
check on his work, which he can In
telligently exercise.
The ballot is about one-tenth the size
Of the present ballot each sheet Of cou-
pons being 6 by II inches. It costs no
more than the present ballot. Expert
ment has shown that the voter can
vote with ease in forty-fve seconds.
When the count begins the judge finds
CQe CuOlCS VI IuC VVtCA o4Aoo6So WIZ
pactly in order before him, and he has
but to read it off, feature which will.
it is asserted, enable him to count from
100 to 125 votes an hour and save at
least one-tenth in counting over the
present ballot
When the cost Of the voting machine.
interest, insurance, depreciation, stor-
age, drayage to and from polls, extras,
ETC., are considered it Is estimated that
the adoption Of the new ballot will
save a city Of 100000 inhabitants at
least $4,000 for every election over the
next cheaper means, the voting ma
chine.
Without waiting for his patent the
inventor had bill introduced at the
last session of the Wisconsin legisla-
ture providing for the use Of the ballot
| in Wisconsin. The bill passed, was
signed by Governor La Toilette and
ratified by the people in a popular ref
erendum in April, 1906. 1t will first be
used in the general elections in Noyem.
Der.