Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-03
Des Moines and Polk County
Purchase Equipment for All
Election Precincts
RESTORE THE BALLOT CIRCLE
Machine compels Voting Of Straight
Ticket First, and Noting Of Excep-
tions Later = Benefit Minor Offices
on Tail of Ticket = State Health
Offices to Convene.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to mes-Republican.
Des Moines, Oct 3.--Voting machines
such AS will be used in Des Moines on
Nov. 3 will practically put the circle
back on the ballot. The city of Des
Moines and Polk county have been
dickering for three or four years for
the purchase of voting machines. They
were really purchased about two years
ago, hut will be used this year for the
first time. The machines are sitting
in public places all about the city so
that the citizen can practice up and In
struct himself on how to use them
The mechanism so far rs the voter
is concerned is quite simple, but 1t is
necessary to pull the straight party
lever first in order to vote at all. II
the voter stops there he votes the
straight ticket in just exactly the same
way as he would under the old bal
lot system by putting cross in the
circle at the head of the ticket. Ii
he desires to vote a scratched ticket
tit is necessary to pull first the straight
party lever. Then he does the scratch
ing by putting back into place the lit
tie lever above the name of each can
didate that he wishes to scratch and
by pulling down the lever above the
name of the candidate of the other
party for whom he wishes to vote.
/ This amounts in practice to the same
thing as the "circle ON the ballot" 1t
will operate to prevent the voter from
forgetting any of the candidates down
at the bottom Of the ticket. There
are many public men who fear that
under the present system with, the cir
Gle off when the citizen goes to the
polls he will vote for the important
candidates at the head Of the ticket
but when he strikes those at the bot
tom where he has little preference as
between the men he is liable to stop
voting, and not express a preference
for the rest of the ticket. There are
many who feel that the circle should
never have been taken off the head
of the ballot and should now be re-
stored for that reason. The primary
election votes showed that the citizen
loses interest after he has voted for
the important offices at the head OF
the ticket.
Des Moines is perhaps the only city
in Iowa where voting machines will be
used, but wherevey they are used the
tail end of the ticket will not suffer, for
the citizens must vote the straight
ticket first and then make his excep-
tions afterward, and if The fails to make
any exceptions, OF fails to make any
exceptions farther down than the more
important offices, his vote on the tail
of the ticket will be for the straight
party vote.
When the voting machine is used
for primary election an attachment
is added so that the machine can be
used for the primary. At present the
Iowa law does not provide for the use
Of the voting machines in primary
elections, but undoubtedly arrange
ments will be made to enact such a
law. When the machine is used In
the primary it is claimed that 1t can
be arranged so that the voter will not
be able to forget the lesser important
offices at the end as they do when
the paper ballot is used, but will have
to vote for someone for each office, or
else must deliberately refuse. Under
the machine voting at the general elec-
ton the voter may not vote Tor any
candidate for particular office it he
wishes but after voting the straight
ticket at first as he must, in order TO
not have it registered for any candi-
date Of any party for a particular Of
flee he must push back the little lever
above. the candidates name to its place.
Ex.Representative Mathew Fl. CAL
deaNy.,od, of Davenport, ds again
candidate for election. He was de-
feated two years ago. This year Har-
nv Phillips AMI Henry M. Copfey were
the republican nominees OF the prl-
mary. They have Withdrawn and the
county central committee has notified
Secretary of State Hayward of the
nomination of Mathew Fl. Calderwood
and Prank c. Keppy.
In Scott county William B. Palmer
has Withdrawn and the democratic
candidate for the house and the coun-
tv committee has selected Adolph Her
man.
Des Mcines will be full of health Of
ficers and sanitary experts the second
week of October The state board OF
health will meet Oct. 13 and IA and on
Oct. Is and 16 the annual meeting or
conference of state and local boards
of health will be held here. The head
quarters will be at the Wellington no.
,tel and the meetings will be held at
the y. NJ. C. A. auditorium one block
away.
Health officers, doctors, city officials
and municipal experts generally will
read papers and discuss problems of
health ard city government at these
The difference in the duties
of health officers and city physicians
will be discussed the forenoon. of Oct.
15 by City Physician Losh OF Des
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