The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-06-26
WEDNESDAY, JUNE rs, 1907.
THE NEW BALLOT LAW.

After nearly twenty years expert
ence with the Australian ballot, the
original form of which has been
changed from time to time by Mon
taua law makers, the tenth assembly
concluded that it val capable of fur
ther improvement. 1t enacted a law
last winter by which 1t 10 proposed to
prevent the endless chain system OF
voting that was made possible by Sc.
curing q copy Of the official ballot
and marking it for q voter before he
entered the polling place, the voter to
return with the blank official ballot he
received from the judges of election.
This blank official ballot could then
be marked by the conspirators and
given to the next voter, who would re.
turn with another blank ballot, and
80 on until the entire gang had cast
the ballots marked by their leader.
This endless chain system OF voting,
it is alleged, "a pract,ced in some
parts of Montana where men could be
coerced into voting Al their bosses
desired, or we're willing to sell their
votes to the highest bidder. In the
latter case, the plan described was for
the purpose of securing delivery OF
the goods that were purchased.
The new ballot law enacted by the
tenth assembly requires that the bal
lot received by each voter shall be
numbered, and that the ballot re.
turned to the judges of election TO
be deposited in the ballot box bears
the same number as the ballot he re.
ceived from them. 1t is provided that
. periora ted line shall be made across
the top OF each ballot, forming a stub,
on the back of which shall be printed
or stamped by the county clerk the
consecutive number of the ballots
used in each precinct. When the
voter receives a ballot from the judges
of election, the number on the back Of
the stub is entered opposite his name
In the poll book, and when the voter
has marked his ballot and returns it
TO the judges of election, the latter
are required to see that its number
corresponds with that of the ballot he
received. II the numbers correspond,
the stub lis detached from the ballo,
and deposited in a box or pouch, while
the ballot goes into another recepta.
Gle. BY this arrangement there is no
possible means Of identifying the bal.
lot marked by the voter, its number OF
Identification mark being removed be.
fore it is put into the ballot box.
The new ballot law deals q death
blow to political fusion by this pro-
vision: "Where any person is nomi'
mated for the same Office by thar
one partyt or convention, his name
shall be placed upon:the ticket unde,
the designation Of the party which
fret nominatedNhim, unless he de-
cliues, in writing, onelor more OF suct
nominations, orr by written election
indicates the partyidesign alton under
which be desires his name to b,
printed. = +DAud no person
who has been nomin ated by petition
or otherwise shall have his nam,
printed upon the ticket IL the same al
ready appears under a party designa
tion." The effect Of this provisio,
will be that the name of q candid at,
can appear but once on the oficia
ballot, no matter how many politica
organizations endorse his candidacy
The new ballot measure was vetoet
by Governor Toole, but it was passed
over his veto by q two.thirds vote i,
both the senate and house, and is nov
in effect. The special election i,
ChOuteau county on July & will b
conducted under its provisions.