Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-05-04
THE PRIMARY ELECTION
Several Important Changes in Law
Since Two Years Ago.
Some of the Features of the Present
Primary Law, Which Should be
Carefully Noted by Every
Voter, and Especially
the Candidates.

The primary election to be held
on the 7th of June will be in a
measure different from that of two
years ago, several important chang
es having been made by the last
legislature, so that it will be we'll
for all to carefully note the follow
ing, which has been prepared with
view to pointing out the most i'm
portant changes:
"The county convention this year
will be held on the fourth Saturday
following the primary election, or
one week later than it was two
years ago.
The county convention will also
select delegates for the congression-
al and state conventions, fill such
vacancies on the ticket as it may
have power to do. adopt resolutions
and then adjourn and go its way in
peace, as the primary will have
stolen all the. old time thunder.
In all cases where there is more
than one candidate for a nomina-
tion to be voted for by all the voters
of the county, the names will be
rotated on the primary election bal
lot. The townships will be ar
ranged alphabetically as also the
cities and towns. the precincts and
wards following in numerical order,
and then the candidate whose name
appears first on the ballot for the
first township or voting precinct
will be last on the list on the next
one in order, the other or others
moving up. This procedure is kept
up until the end of the chapter. For
state Offices the county is the rotary
basis. while for congressional, sena-
tors and representatives in the as.
sembly and all county officers the
voting precinct is the one in which
names are shifted.
For all township Offices the names
of candidates are arranged alpha
betically.
The rotary system will mean n
costly printing bill If there should
be many contests at the primary,
but the general assembly in it's wis
dom says that it shall be done, and
no economical plebian will have
any legal leg on which to stand if
he wants to register a kick over the
expense. In this connection it may
be said that the county will have to
pay all the expenses of the primary
election this year. Two years ago
the state paid one-half.
The ballot is to be published in at
least two papers of general circula-
tion and sample ballots will be post
ed at the various polling places. That
is all the law provides for and there
fore. in filing nomination papers 1t
will be necessary for those having
them in charge to see that the
names of candidates are written
legibly and spelled correctly, as the
newspaper notice will only give the
names of the offices for which nom-
nations are to be made and will not
give the names of candidates for the
same. as was done two years ago.
The only money candidates for
nominations at the primary election
can contract to spend is for secur-
ing signers for their nomination pa
pers and in making announcements
In the newspapers. When expended
for any other purpose 1t subjects
them as well as the person receiv-
ing it to fine of $500 or imprison-
ment in the county jail for ninety
days. and no candidate is going to
take any chance of being locked up
for ninety days when he has an in
teresting engagement like a cam
paign on his hands.
Voters whose party affiliation is
already registered in the Office of
the county auditor and who may de-
sire to change such afiliation must
file certificate to that effect in the
Office of the county auditor at least
ten days before the primary or take
an oath on election day that they
in good faith desire to change from
cne party to another New voters
will again have to declare their
party afiliation, as will also all
voters who may have moved from
one precinct to another. In the lat
ter case this can be avoided by hav-
ing the change Of residence entered
on the alphabetical lists in the Of
flee of the county auditor.
Calls for district conventions
must be issued net less than ten nor
more than sixty days before the pri-
s1 Itt