Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-04-17
a Local Option Caucus Law.

lnehl inns year WIN new, ana III many
respects, a unique, caucus law. The act
OF 1901, providing for general declara
tion of party affiliations 10y voters at the
time of filing out the tax inventories
aud for party caucus cheek list, upon
petition 10y five per cent of the voters,
proved quite unsatisfactory in its work.
imgs, when tried out, for the reason that
in many towns the voters neglected or
refused to declare themselves, so that
but a small percentage were qualified to
participate in the caucuses The Legis-
lature of 1906 remodelled the caucus law
To considerable extent. aud as il now
stands it is ahont the extreme limit of
| local option in the matter of caucus reg
ulaton. 1t was left this way pulposely
Many towns do not desire or need To in
woke such law. their caucuses being
conducted in Il generally satisfactory
way. OF others. this cannot he said. So
matters are left decidedly open. for
every town to determine whether it will
use the caucus law or not. and if so.
which of two ways it will conduct its
caucuses.
In other words, these two options, are
as follows:
|. On petition of five per cent of the
voters of town, filed with the town
clerk ON or before the 18th day of May,
the caucuses in that town for that year
shall he held in one of the two WAYS
prescribed by the law. If no such petit
ton is filed, then the caucu>es may be
held "any old way" according as the
party committees decree.
,. Onpetition of five per cent of the
voters of town, fled with the town
clerk between March 10 and April |, the
voters of that town must declare their
| party intentions on their tax inventories
if they wish to take part in caucuses in
that town that year. If no such petition
is filed, and the petition referred to un-
der No. above is filed later asking for
caucus regulation, then the selrctmen ar
range an alphabetical list OF voters quail
flied to take part at the coming elections,
but without party designation or div-
sion, and this check list is used at all
the party caucuses that year, each vo-
ter's name being checked off at the
time, and voters being prohibited from
voting at the caucuses of more than one
party during the year
So there are really three options:
l, No check list or caucus regulation
by law
2. A general check list, requiring
petition filed by May Is.
3. party check list, with advance
declarations, requiring petition be-
tween March Is and April /, followed
by a second petition by May Is.
Each town may, by action of five per
cent of its voters, choose according to
its particular desires and needs. The re-
naming 90 per cent will have to ac
quiesce.
The ne" tax inventory blanks contain
the declaration clause, as matter of
necessity, since it cannot be known in
advance what towns will and what will
not, use them, but in any town where
there has been no petition fled by April
asking for their use they will be dead
letter, and listers will not REQUIRE them
to he filled out. Few towns, if any, will
be likely to resort to the declaration plan
tins year, we imagine.
There will be quite a thorough trial of
the general alphabetical check list this
year, we believe. 1t is simple, fair and
honest. On the whole list of qualified
voters are checked those who appear at
the first party caucus. The town clerk
has charge OF this list, attends to the
checking at all the party cauc0ses and
sees that no erasures or alterations arc
made. When the caucuses of fine re.
naming parties are held, this list is
brought out again and those only whose
names are not already checked off have
the right to vote now. There is a $500
fine Tor anybody who tries to vote in
more than one party's caucuses or al.
ters the check list, or violates anv other
provision OF the act.
Though the act does not specifically
state, it is fair construction to draw
that the town pays the bills for check
list, ballots, services of officers and
clerks, hall rents, etc, only when the
law Is invoked in one way or another.
IL there is no petition for any kind of
caucus regulation, then the caucuses are
held and bills paid in any way the par
ties determine. But when legal caucuses
are held, the town must foot the ex-
penses