The San Francisco call., 1908-11-04
VOTING MACHINES
COST MANY VOTES
Complicated Devices Confuse
Electors and Force Waits
and Delays
Inadequate Supply of Contri-
vaHces Helps to MuddIe
Situation

OAKLAND, Nov. 3.-Voting by bal
lot machines proved unexpectedly slow
today In the first test given machines
by the entire county. The slowness
of the machines in registering the
votes caused hundreds of voters to
lose their franchise, who had hoped
to vote before going to work in the
morning. In numerous cases long lines
had formed. by o'clock these broke
up in dissatisfied groups after a wait
of an hour or more.
Inexperience in handling the machines
resulted in numerous breakdowns and
arrangements which required the as
sistance of expert mechanics to
straighten out. Reports telephoned to
the county clerks office met with
prompt answers and experts were dis
patched in AUTOMOBILE TO make re-
pairs. There were. no instances re-
ported in which a machine was per-
mantly disabled.
County officials who had hoped that
the Introduction Of the machines had
been long step in advance were
greatly surprised by the slow work
of registering the vote. The law pro-
or less in precinct. but as it de-
veloped that 35 votes an hour was
about the highest average speed possi-
bic this was shown to be too large a
Compared with the old Australian
ballot system. where four or five voters
were simultaneously marking ballots
In separate booths. the work OF the
substitute devices caused widespread
dissatisfaction.
A feature of the day was the fact
that residents OF the outside country
districts had no difficulties. Rural
electors handled the machines perfect
ly, and expressed high approval. All
the trouble was confined 10 the heavily
populated city precincts.
1t is evident that there were too
few machines to go around" said Chief
Deputy County Clerk A. Johnstone.
The capacity of the devices was more
limited than We had expected. Other
wise after the novelty wore off in the
morning there seems to have been no
general complaint or cause for trouble.
That the machines have good points in
abundance was shown by the fact that
there were no complete breakdowns in
spite of the rough handling which they
had. / attribute the trouble to the
newness of mechanical voting and to a
natural prejudice against radical inno-
vatfons. If there had been two or three
machines in precincts where we had but
one the vote would have been taken
without trouble"
Apprehension was shown by election
officials generally regarding the effect
OF closing the polls at o'clock in cases
where lines had formed waiting to
vote. Instructions were given to have
policeman take charge of the line
and allow all to vote who had place.
Earlier instructions had been sent from
the district attorneys office that only
those who were within the tents should
be accommodated. but this was recon
sidered.
The vote cast was lighter than was
expected In spite of the fact that the
campaign had been without stirring
features. That the machines were not
entirely responsible was shown by the
downtown nraCinCfG
less than half their registered total at
3 o'clock in the afternoon and that no
crowds were waiting about the booths
at that time. Examples of this were
given at the booth at Ninth street and
Broadway, where 1872 had voted at 8
o'clock out of total of AL on the
register. At Sixth street and Broad
way 168 had voted at o'clock out of
a total for the precinct of $50.
Compared with former years the
efforts made to take voters to the polls
were insignificant Few rigs were out
with banners, and a half dozen prob
ably numbered the automobiles.