Norwich bulletin., 1910-10-31
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
votins a Few Names Only

Mr. Editor: The publication in the
issue of The Bulletin of October y OF
the form of ballot to be used at the
November election. gives the voter
abundant time to inform himself as TO
its correct use. You have done the
public a good service. With most of
the instructions which accompany the
diagram, the best authorities in the
state, I am informed, are in accord.
A careful observation of these direc-
lions will, in most cases. awe the
voter all the information he needs.
But tile suggestions for Voting for
a Few Names Only do not, ilt the
writer's. opinion, fairly represent the
privilege which the law affords the
voter, or at least do not tell the whole
story. The suggestion is that the
ticket be filled up with names. One
votes for dummies; that is. for the
purpose of filing up the ticket, names
are to be written. which will only add
to the scattering vote, and are not
intended to aid in the election of any
one. L am not asserting that this
makes the ticket or ballot invalid,
but that it is simply child's play.
Whatever may be said with truth as
to the difficulties Of understanding the
law it should not be made ludicrous
by construction that requires one to
vote for candidates for any office when
he Goes not care to do so. on penalty
Of having his vote thrown out The
law requires no one to vote, and it
would be as great a novelty to compel
one who desires to vote for only few
candidates to vote for others. This
view was not obtained from Attorney
General Light who, when here, If cor
rectly understood, expressed differ
ent opinion.
What a voter desiring to vote for
only a few candidates or only one can
didate may do is not to vote party
ticket, but use the BLANK Column
only. He puts no cross in the circle
at the head of any party ticket. The
fact that he writes in the blank col
umn names which appear printed else
where on the ballot will make no diff
ference, provided he confines himself
to the blank column and makes no
cross and writes no name elsewhere
on the ballot The new ballot law. in
its first section provides that ANY
elector may write in such column 1.-THE
blank column the 1ncme OF any per-
son for whom he deskeS to vote Tor
the office designated in the space
where such name may be written, and
such ballot shall be counted FOR the
candidate whose name is so written.
This language is not expressly modi-
fed by anything which occurs later
in the act, and it is not believed that
it is modified h any implication.
The law maker kept in mind espe-
% Those who vote a straight party
ticket, CD Those who vote a party
ticket but split to some extent and CD
Those who DO not care to vote a party
ticket. For the latter, the blank col
umn is sufficient. One purpose of
the law was to make it unnecessary
for the great majority of voters to
write the names Of those whom they
wish to vote for. or even. as required
in some states, to place a cross against
the name of each. But where there
are but few names which the voter
wishes to vote, the simplest way is to
use the blank column only. The voter
may write as many names or as lew
as he chooses Crowded, of course
that he does not vote for more than
the law allows him to vote for) and he
may even write the names which APP
pear elsewhere in print, provided he
does not go outside the blank column
for any purpose \. A. Il.
Norwich. Conn. Oct IS. 1910.