The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-12-15
PRIMARY ELECTIONS s,tL
Submitted by House COMMITTEES on
Internal Affairs

hOAtpShcis OcC- 1o.-DJ report OF
the committee on internal affairs
there has been introduced in the
House substitute bill providing for
the nomination of state and county
officers by a direct primary system.
The bin is a voluminous document
embodying all the regulations pertain
ing TO the ordinary conduct of cleo.
lions in Vermont The salient feat.
ures OF the bill are summarized in
what follows:
The bill provides that candidates
for elective state, district and county
offices be elected at a direct primary
election TO be held In the second
Tuesday in June, 1912, and biennially
thereafter. The bill does not refer
TO nominations to fill vacancies to
fill unexpired terms, except in the
case of representatives to Congress
nor to nominations for officers of cit
les, towns, village, school or fire dis
tricts, nor for presidential electors.
No candidate can have his name
printed upon an official ballot used
at primary election unless at least
30 and not more than 60 days prior
10 such election he files a declaration
of candidacy, in form specified by
the bill, accompanied by fee based
upon the amount of the emolument
pertaining to the office: or unless
petition shall be filed signed by voters
equal to at least ] per cent of the
votes cast for the party candidate for
the same Office at the last preceding
election, in which case no fee is re-
rhf g.,
paying $500 per year or less, the sum
of S25 for an office paying from $500
to $1,000, the sum OF $780, for an Office
paying over $1,000 the sum of 800. A
political organization which at the
preceding general election was rep
resented on the official ballot either
by regular party candidates, or, by
individual nominees only, may have
a separate primary election ticket
as a political party, if any of its can
didates or individual nominees receiv-
ed 10 per cent of the total votes cast
at such last general election in the
political division in which the candi-
date seeks a nomination.
Filing Of Papers
Declarations of candidacy or nom-
nation petitions shall be filed in the
Office of the secretary of state for
state offices and representatives to
Congress, and in the Office of the
county clerk for county Offices At
least 20 days before the primary cleo
ton the secretary of state is to trans
nit to each county clerk a certified
list containing the name, postofiice
] aHH nj .rFx ,f n,l,
person, entitled TO be voted for and
the Office for which he is a candid
ate At least 2 days before the pri-
mary election each county clerk shall
publish once under the party desgna-
ton and title Of each Office the names
and addresses of all persons for
whom nomination papers have been
filed in so far as the same shall eff
feet the electors OF his county, stat.
ing the date of the primary, the hours
bduring which the polls will be open
and the polling places. Copies of the
notice are to be posted in at least
three public places in each town in
his county The bill provides also for
publication once in two newspapers in
each county of general circulation, or,
|
newspapers deemed TO circulate gen
orally in such county.
The Ballots
On the 18th day before the primary
election the county clerk shall group
all the candidates for each party by
themselves and shall prepare sep
arate ballot for each party. Ballots
| To ha oh falu In aOlA
and size, white and printed with
black ink, with head in plain black
type reading Primary Election Bal
lot" On the next line the name OF
the political party shall be printed.
and below that the name of the town
and county in which the ballot is TO
be used. Then shall follow the words
To vote for a person make a cross
in the first square at the right of the
name of the person for whom you
desire to vote Beginning at the top
OF the left hand column, at the left Of
the line appears in black type the
position for which the persons whose
names follow are candidates and to
the extreme right OF the same line
the words Vote for" and then the
word One" Two, or a spelled num-
Der indicating how many persons I'M
der that head are TO be voted for.
Each position with the names of the
candidates shall be separated from
the following one hy a black faced
rule The arrangement In order shall
Zee, state officers representatives to
Congress, county officers.
Primary election ballots shall he