New-York tribune., 1909-11-20
EXPENSE OF ELECTIONS.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: l have been an inspector of cleo
tiOns for many years and have kept pace
with and posted on every movement having
for its object improvement in our election
system. But a system which creates a
ballot like the one of twenty columns
used in the last city election will OF ne
Cessity force an improvement Of some
kind. What shall il be?
At least One-half of that ballot was used
simply TO reprint the same names in diff
ferent columns and under different head
ings
ballot punching the candidates each
under his own official heading only once.
denoting each by an emblem together with
his party or organization affiliation. will
doubtless be provided for in future. If SO.
the last absurd. preposterOus and unnec-
essary ballot will be abolished.
There has been no scandal attaching TO
the management Of the Commissioners OF
Election nor Vet of the Bureau of EIec-
tions, but | believe the best results would
follow in cities of the first Off not also the
second) class in this state If the Com
missioners Of Election and the Bureau OF
Elections were consolidated and made a
state department. on the same plan as
the excise or liquor tax department. The
whole election system Of the state could
thus be made more effective, IL possible.
than II is now.
Then, too. Just as now. a lump sum IS
provided and set over for educational pur-
poses under the control Of the Board Of
Education; so the same system should be
adopted for the support of the work of a
state elections department having either
one state commissioner or board Of
commissioners, with a commissioner In
each such city with power to adopt such
rules and regulations as the law may re-
quire or authorize. Similar powers are
now vested in the Police Commissioner of
New York. Such a department should be
empowered TO adopt an executive system
To enforce the election laws independent
Of the police. On election days. as now
the police should be required TO preserve
order when necessary. l am not sure but
that such state department should cover
the whole state, and outside of cities of the
first and second class an assistant COM
missioner or superintendent should be ap-
pointed by such state department in every
county. j believe such a system is de-
sirable. Under present conditions party
organizations should not be ignored, nor
do l believe IT necessary.
II seems TO me that in some Of it's de-
tails our present system is unnecessarily
expensive and useless. Fewer officials and
less expense would not injure the enec-
tiveness Of the system
Permit me 10 ask and answer some
questions. Why are four inspectors of
election needed? Why keep four registry
books? Isn't one enough? Two are GER
tainly enough. each TO act as a check on
the other, thus avoiding mistakes in the
registry which may be a serious matter
As now, one inspector could keep his reg
istry and one enrolment book. and an ad-
ditional clerk could he provided To act on
registry days to keep the printers copy
and also the cards for each person regis
tered now used by the Bureau of Flee
tions. As it is. every person registered
signs his registry, hut by adding another
column in the registry book for him to
sign again on election day all necessity
for poll clerks is avoided.
Poll clerks are an unnecessary expense
When voter enters the polling place his
name is announced and he is checked I'm
the registry books as voting. with the
number Of his ballot. Thus is he identi-
fled and recorded as voting OF what
earthly use. therefore. are the poll clerks
and their duties?
why dic tNo Ddllot clerks needed? One
is all-sufticient, and if the ballots were
delivered at the polling places. each al
ready folded for the use Of the voter thev
could be delivered by the chairman Of the
inspectors 10 each voter and no ballot
clerk at all would be required
Another superfiuOus expense is number
ing the ballots. Why should the ballots
be numbered at all? The number is now
printed on each ballot and recorded in the
registry on the same line with the voters
name. If the voter is merely checked "a
voting II is all-sufficient-no number "a
necessary. Before an electors ballot "a
deposited in the box his Identification IN,
the number OF his ballot is prevented he
cause the stub OF the ballot is torn OFT ana
deposited in a separate box. and is then
destroyed. OF what earthly us. IA ,h.
stub or the number?
On the closing Of the polls the inspector,
or election should turn over their books
and the ballot boxes. after sealing them.
70 two canvassers. whose duty Is should
be TO canvass the votes and declar. ~.
result To assist in this duty two clerks
should be provided to keep the tally ard
NIL out the blank returns provided for ,bt.
purpose This plan would save great .x-
pense and prove most effective N,
course, if the stubs on the ballots are abol-
ished no ballot box for them is meade,
Much OF our election day machinery would
be unnecessary II We used voting ma
chimes. TAvVVrr,
Brooklyn, Nov. IS. 1909