The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-31
PRIMARY ELECTIONS BILL
Slmplifed Measure introduced BY
Representative from Bennington

The primary elections bin introduc-
ed in the House Friday by Dir Howe,
OF Bennington provides a rather sim
pie and easy form OF making direct
nominations. It has few intricacics
and in the main merely applies the
present election laws to the nomina-
ton of candidates for state, congress
sional and county officers.
The bill does not medd with the
choice OF United States senators nor
with the nomination of town repres-
entatiyes, justices Of the peace, nor
with town, village or school district
officials. Neither does it interfere
with the minor political parties such
as the Socialists and Prohibitionists,
leaving them to nominate as they
choose unless in any state, county
or congressional election they should
cast ten per cent of the total vote in
which case they would in the cam
palgn fan under the provisions of the
direct primary system. The bill also
permits the present system OF filing
independent nominations.
The bill provides for a direct pri-
mary nomination of candidates on tho
last Tuesday in June 1912 and biennt
ally thereafter 10 choose the state,
county and congressional candidates
for the ensuing September election.
Any candidate can get his name on
the official ballot by filing a signed
request and paying n fee ranging
from $25 to 500 according to the in
come from the Office for which he Is
candidate. The ballots are distribu-
ted and the primary elections take
place under the same plan, regula-
tions and restrictions as are now pro-
vided for q September election. The
votes are counted In the same way
and returns are lied with the secrc-
tary of state as to State and Con-
gressional candidates and with the
county clerk as TO county candidates,
On given day the returns are can
vassed by a bipartisan board and the
results officially announced.
The only important variation from
the general election law Is pro.
vision copied from the Oregon and
state of Washington primary laws to
determine the wishes of the voters
where there are three or more can
didates for one Office and no candid.
ate has q majority of the votes east
I'm case there are three or more can.
didatos for one nomination each vO
ter must express ON his ballot both
his first and second choice and the
voter must marktas his second choice
some other than the one he marked
as his first choice or his ballot for
that Office becomes void
The first and second choice ballots
are counted separately and returned
separately. II any candidate gets a
majority OF first choice ballots he
Is nominated but II no one has ma
+ iorlty of FIRST choice ballots then the
FIRST and second choice ballots fol
each candidate are added together
and the one who gets the largest CON
I bined number Is nominated. This
plan was first devised In the state oil
Washington and was found so salts
factory that Il is now being rapid,
taken up by other states.
The bill provides iof "a separate bal
lot for each party thus doing ava,
with trouble that has been foun,
serious IN Indiana, Kansas and sew
eral other states where all parties
vote on one ballot. This difficulty
has come from voters Of one party