New-York tribune., 1908-12-28
BALLOT reform IN NEW JERSEY.

The controversy if so it may be called. be-
tween the Governor and the Secretary of State
of NeN Jersey over the latter's attempt to
publish in his annual report an elaborate rec
ommendation Of a particular kind of voting ma
chine serves the useful purpose of calling at
tpntion TO the value of the franchise reforms
which have already been instituted in that sHlte
and 10 the need of maintaining them and per
fecting them with such supplementary meas
ures as experience and judgment may suggest
So far as voting machines are concerned, de-
spite the special pleading of the Secretary OF
Stale they are not wanted in New Jersey.
After a fair trial Of them the people in special
election were called upon TO say whether or not
they should he retained. The question was
& voted upon. the machines themselves being used
for the purpose. in 215 districts, and in 211
districts the ma iority against the machines was
overwhelming: in many. believe. much
rs nina or ten TO one. Moreover. the votes
against the machines were largely cast by the
/ most intelligent and enlightened citizens of the
/ state. beginning with the Governor himself
! That verdict does not universally condemn vot
/ ing machines They may deservedly be regarded
elsewhere with high favor But If does en-
phatically rule them out of use in the State of
! New Jersey.
The preference which is thus shown for the
paper ballot does not. however. prove that the
+
material improvements. We have no doubt
that some of those who are the strongest op-
ponents of the voting machines are equally
Jealous for some radical reforms Of the ballot
system. New Jersey has not yet adopted any
so-called Australian or blanket" ballot sys-
TEN, with all the tickets printed a single
sheet, but retains the old system of a separate
ballot for each party. providing. however, that
all such ballots shall be printed by the state
Io ci, -Tx-1o
and shall be inclosed in envelopes before they
are dropped into the boxes. Instead however,
OF these official ballots being given out one by
one to the voters they enter the booths at
the polling places and being restricted to such
distribution, they are furnished TO the party
managers several days in advance for them to
alter with 'pasters" or otherwise as they please
and 10 distribute to their followers so that the
average voter goes 10 the polls with bis ballot
in his pocket already prepared. and ignores the
ballots which are offered TO him by the poll
clerks which he finds in the booths
This system is obviously susceptible of abuse.
I II enables the bosses TO fix up' ballots to
| suit themselves. and may also, through colusi0n
/ with the officers who count the votes make the
/ buying and selling OF votes possible On the
other hand, it may also encourage independent
voting and intelligent voting. since if the citi-
zen has the various ballots before him at his
! home for several days before election he can
/ consider them more tioughfully and prepare
3 them more carefully than if his scrutiny and
marking were confined 10 minute or Two in the
polling booth. II is not easy ia say just what
changes il would be best to- make in the sys-
TEN. There are numerous ballot systems now I'm
force i'm various states. and not one of them
! * free from objections But il ought to he pos
! sible for New Jersey 10 devise scheme which
/ win preserve the really deSira bile featur OF
the present ballot and %: eliminate 10 a great
: extent the opportunity for bribery and cor
. ruptioh. The hrihing of voterS is probably less
common IN New Jersey than in some. perlia ps