The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-09-01
Democratic and Republican
Parties viii Begin Tasks
in a Few Days.
WORK WILL COST $780, oC
SEVERE PENALTIES MAY BE I'M
POSED FOR GIVING FALSE IN
FORMATION COMPLETE WORK
SEPT. 9Th.

next few days the democrats and re-
publicans of Indiana will be engaged
in the big task of taking poll of the
voters of the state. And it is big
job, too. There are between $500
Some are large precincts witha heavy
vote, while others are small with a
light vote, but when the poll is taken
it is the purpose to enumerate every
man in the state that is eligible to
suffrage at the coming state election.
From one to Ave men are required
to take the poll of a precinct, the num-
Der depending on thearea to be cover
ed and the number of voters in the
precinct. 1t is believed safe to say
that the number of poll Ia sers requirs
ed will average three men to the pre-
cinct. This means that something
like ten thousand men will be en-
ployed by each of the two great par
ties in the poll taking. These men
receive all the way from 81 to IS a
day each for this work, the average
being probably SO a day.
Thus the twenty thousand men en-
ployed at this work by the two par
ties will receive approximately $4,000
a day in wages. On an average it will
take three days to complete the poll
of a precinct. Thus. the poll taking
proves to be an expensive work. for 1t
means that the total cost to the two
parties will reach $4,000 for wages
alone.
Each party will have to use about
ten thousand poll books. costing about
81 900. The greater part Of the ex-
pense for the poll books is borne by
the state committee, but the wages of
the poll takers are paid by the local
organizations.
In some Of the counties, especially
such as Lake, st. Joseph. Marion and
Vigo. in which there is heavy for
eign population, 1t is necessary for the
local committee to employ poll TAX
ers who can speak the language of
the foreigners. The native American
would easily become lost in the maze
of jaw breaking names with which he
would be confronted in such COM
munities. In some places there are
Hungarians, Bulgarians, Servians,
Macedonians, Turks and a good many
other nationalities. In such cases 1t
Is necessary to have a poll taker for
each nationality to get an accurate
list of the voters.
The poll taking must be completed
by September s, which will be sixty
days prior to the election on Novem.
Der s. Another poll. the thirty day
poll, will be taken early in October,
but this will not be as big job az the
sixty day poll. The thirty day poll il
more for the purpose Of correcting
mistakes and revising the lists to
cover the removals and newcomers in
the precincts than for anything else.
The law covering the taking Of the
poll is as strict as any other part of
the election laws of the state. 1t not
only binds the poll taker to obtain
accurate and truthful information
and make true lists of the voters, but
it also provides severe penalties for
persons that refuse to give truthful
information or that deceive the poll
taker with false information. Section
81 of the election law Of 1897 is as fol
lows:
1t shall be the duty of every person
to whom application Is made for In
formation in regard to such poll fur
nish to the poll taker, upon the exhib
ition of such certificate. all informa
ton in the possession of such person