The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-30
FURNISH BALLOTS
 FOR EACH WARD
New Law Interpreted by Attor. ney-General HOlcOmb For
 Secretary of State
NUMBER ON EVERY ONE
Minute Directions as to Prepara- ton and Handling of All Elec-
 ton Ballots

Attorney-General Marcus H. Hol-
 comb yesterday gave the following in- depreciation of Chapter 25O of the pub lie acts of 1909 in reference to the fur nishing of ballots:
 Hartford. July %, 1910.
 Hon. Matthew H. Rogers, Secretary. Dear Sir-You submit the following statement and questions:
 The new ball5t law (Chapter 250, public acts of 1900 provides by impli- cation in Section ,, that towns, cities, Doroughs, wards and voting districts shall be supplied with ballots. Does this mean that the secretary must pre- pare and forward the proper number of ballots for each district in each town In the state, numbered from one onward, and with the imprint of each district thereon? If so, this would necess1tate the secretary having off CTS in each district as well as in the towns at large"
 Section 2 of this chapter (250 public acts of 1909) contains this provision:
 Ballots for towns, cities or bor- oughs. divided into wards, or voting districts. shall be indorsed official ballot for, and after the word for shall follow the designation of the town, city borough and the ward or voting district therein, as the case may be, for which the ballot is pre- pared, the date of the election and a facsimile of the signature of the secre- tary of the state. On the front of the stub and immediately above the center of the Endorsement on the back of the ballot when folded shall be printed the consecutive number of the ballot intended for such town, city or borough, and the ward or voting dis trict therein, as the case may be, be- ginning with the number one and in- creasing in regular numerical order. All the same polling places, shall be of the same size and arrangement, so that, when the stubs, numbered as aforesaid, shall be detached therefrom it shall be impossible to distinguish any one of the ballots from the other ballots of the same kind"
 bracing an entire town, borough or city, or a ward or voting district therein, is treated by this statute as the unit, for each of which a separ- ate ballot must be prepared, upon the back of which, in addition to the in- dorsement common to the ballots us- ed in all of the voting precincts in the state. must be an indorsement desig- hating the particular ward or voting district flor which the ballot is pre- pared" and note the above provision All ballots of the same kind, pre- pared for the same polling place." also section 6, that Said ballots shall be enclosed and sealed in packages, upon the wrapper of which shall ap- pear the number of ballots contained therein, and the town, city, borough, ward or voting district for which they are intended" And under the provi- sion of Section for the same election and in the same town the face of the ballots might not be the same in all the voting precincts in such town, as, for example, in town within which | is city whose limits and boundaries | are not coterminous with those of the | town, if under a referendum clause of | city is submitted to the ballot of it's | the ballots for the wards in | the city would, in addition to the bal | lots for the voting precincts in such | town outside the city limits have two | additional columns leach of which | shall contain spaces of the same gen. eral description as the space in the | party columns, except that spaces pro- | vided for each such question may be | of sufficient depth to contain the des- lgnation of such constitutional amend ment, or other question submitted, and the word "yes'' or the word mo" printed hereunder.
 The provision that on the stub at- tached to said ballots shall be | printed the consecutive number of the ballot intended for such town, city or borough, and the ward or voting district therein, as the case may be, beginning with the number one and in regular numerical or der," I think requires that the num- bering must be for each voting pre- ,inct and that the ballots furnished for each such precinct must have the stubs attached thereto numbered con- secutively, "beginning with the num- per one and increasing in regular numerical order"
 AS suggested in your statement this makes it necessary that the secretary nave knowledge of the number of | voters in each voting precinct in the state, but he has to have this knowl- edge to know how many ballots to send to each ward and voting district n compliance with the mandate of Section of the act.
 Respectfully submitted,
 M IT HOT r0Mp