The San Francisco call., 1908-10-27
CARE URGED IN
MARKING BALLOT
Registrar Points Out Need of
Close Attention When Vot=
ing Split Ticket
zemansky Replies to Watts Lett
ter Disclaiming Response
biIity for Instructions

Registrar of Voters j. Harry Zeman-T
sky, in reply to an open letter from
Rolla V. Watt. published in The Call,
disclaims all responsibility for the in
structionss to voters printed on the
sample and official ballot and points the
need for especial scare on the part OF
all electors who may wish to vote split
tickets.
The instructions to voters prescribed
by law. in spite of the care exercised
by the legislature in drafting them, are
likely to confuse the average voter,
who may wish to split his party ticket
for the office of superior judge or for
any other office to which more than
one candidate is to- be elected. The
one safe way. to vote a split ticket is to
disregard the party voting circle at the
mead of the ticket and stamp a cross
after ther name sof each candidate for
whom. the elector wishes to vote. Here
is Aemanskys letter explaining the
threefoid instructions on the ballot:
Roila V. Watt. Esq.-Dear Sir: 1 OBJ
serve in The Call of this date a letter
from you in which you express the fear
tnat the instructions printed at the top
OF tne sample ballot may mislead voters
with reference to casting their vote for
superior judges. In reply / desire. to
say that no instructions to voters have
Deen issued save and except as provided
IN the exact words of the statute. The
legislature has not left the matter of
ofhcial instructions as to how to mark
ballot to the discretion of the election
commissions or county clerks or regis
trars of voters in the state, but has
speclncally prepared the Instructions
Itself, and if you will refer to section
ll9l OF the political code you will find
that 1t contains the following words:
'On the top of the face of the ballot
ed"
immediately following are the words
and clauses identically as they appear
at the top of both the sample ballot and
the official ballot, so you will see that
these instructions are not issued by the
registrar of voters, but by specific COM
voters has no power whatever to vary
such specific command of the law.
Ihe instructions on the face amply
meet NEE every ease that can arise: Three
dlferent modes of voting a split ticket
are contained in the instructions. The
second method of voting a split ticket
is in the following words: OR stamp a
cross (X) for each individual candidate
for whom you desire to vote and do not
stamp your party voting circle" This
would seem to be the identical instruc-
ton which .yoQ ask or suggest might be
given if it is not too late. You will see
that tire instruction is already given by
the words framed by the legislature as
last quoted. There is a third method of
voting split ticket, referred to in the
words following:
Where two or more candidates for
the same office are to be elected and
YOU desire to vote for candidates for
that office who are on your party ticket
and also for candidates for that office
who are not on such ticket, stamp a
cross (Al after the name of all the can
didates for that office for whom you
desire TO vote, whether they be on your
party ticket or not"
This instruction appears to be intend
ed TO especially guard against any loss
IN the counting of the vote by stating
method to insure that result where sew
eral candidates are running for SINH
ar office. as superior judges. Either of
the methods here quoted contained in
the official instructions seems to be very
plain. 1t may be we'll to specify that
where the third method of voting a
split ticket is used only such candi-
dates of the group are counted as being
voted for as have stamp directly op-
posite the name. whether the candidate
be in the voters party column or out
side of it. This Legislative direction for
counting such votes will be found in
section 1911, sub. 3. of the political CODE
In spite of all instructions that can be
formulated by the Legislature there will
still be necessary a reasonable amount
of care and attention to such instruc-
tions by the voter, and it is his place to
determine which method of the three
that are given by the law he will use in
voting a split ticket to insure the cer-
tainty that his intentions are carried
out. 1t is not for the election officers
to attend to this portion of the matter.
but political parties and organizations.
as we'll as individuals and the press. are
at liberty where they think one
method more likely than another to in
sure against possible loss of a vote. to
call the attention of the electorate to
such matter and make such recon-
mendatfon as to choice among the
methods as they may deem best or see
fit. j. H. ZEMANSKY,
let Of y-rxf<~