Putnam patriot., 1910-09-30
The New Ballot.
HOW TO VOTE.

HON TO VOTE.
 The new pink ballots to be used st
 Monday < election have been received, and some of them given out to be dis eassed. Several have been posted in stores on Main street and before them { interested gatherings of citizens stood and listened 10 more or less full eNpla- nations of the proper manner ef voting
 Monday evening.
 Of course voting straight ticket Is s simple proposition as the voter has only to mark an X in the circle above his party column, but even then the law Is a bit fnssy, because it requires that the K must be marked with . pencil having black lead. thus eut- ting out fountain pens or indelihle or blue pencils.
 No matter If the voter proposes to split hts ticket he must mark one of the circles and mark IL only with an \ as any other mark will render the ticket void, though the voter may write in name in the right column. The essential points of the law which must be needed will be printed on the face of the stub attached 10 each ticket, the printed matter being as follows This ballot shall be marked with \ pencil having black lead. To vote a straight ticket, make eross-mark X
 within the circle above one of the party columns. To vote a split ticket, that Is, for candidates of different par ties, The voter shall make a cross mark \ before the name of each candidate 1 for whom he votes, not appearing in the column which he has designated by an X in the circle al it's head it the ticket marked in the circle for Ii straight ticket does not contain the names of candidates for ail offices for
 which the eleclor desires to vote, he shall, in addition to the cross-mark x quired, vote for candidates for such of. ficers so omitted by making cross | mark K before the names Of the candi dates for such offices in another col
 umn on this ticket, or by writing the name, If not printed upon the ballot, in the blank column, under the title oi the office. Any other mark than the cross.mafk \ used for the purpose of voting will render this ballot void. IL you tear, deface, or wrongly mark this ballot, return it and obtain another. The puzzle comes when the voter does mol wish to vote for any one of T group of candidates for an office or de- sires to split his ticket. In the former case, though the seefetary's office has
 not passed upon the question, the cleo l tor, after making the x al the head of
 the party column must, apparently, also mark onc at the left of the name Of each candidate for whom he wishes l to vote.
 If the elecior wishes to split ticket after having marked an X ai the head
 of the party to which he thinks he be- longs he mast mark an X after the i uhiies VI NhC III Ait VAhtt
 columns for whom he wishes to vote. ! Assuming that there are three select.
 men he may vote for any two. Thus, 1 If he wants to vote for the first candi. date on the democratic ticket and also for the first one on the republican
 ticket he marks an X opposite the
 names Of the men Of his choice and he
 performs the same stunt regarding
 grand jurors and constsbles, but If he votes for more than half the number
 of candidates for any office his vote be-
 comes void.
 1 It should be remembered that in the I election there are no such candidates
 as "s'irst Selectmann or "Second Be.
 leetmaB,H the rank of these officials
 being determined by Section 1sl2 of 1 the General Statutes which says: "Of
 the persons elected seIeetmen by any
 town the person first na med On plu- raIily Of ballots cast for them or my of ] them shall be the first seIectman.p