The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1910-09-22
INSDON BALkS
OVER FILINGS
aetary Of State Refuses to
Certify Nominations.
glsAIMS SECOND CHOICE VOTES
I HAVE NOT BEEN COUNTED,
Every County In State Up Against Pc
euliar Ruling of Petty State Official
In Primary Returns.

r
The refusal of Secretary of State
Robert Lansdon to certify the nomina-
ti0ns elected In the recent primary
tlection as candidates of the Republi-
can and Democratic parties for con-
gresss state and district offices, may
Indefinitely hold up the official certi-
1ication by the state board of canvass
ers required under the direct primary
law, and threatens to further compli-
i cate the grand primary election mix
UP.
The state board of canvassers is
composed of Governor James H.
Brady, Attorney General D. c. Nc
81 Dougal, Secretary of State Robert
.ansdon and State Auditor Stephen
Taylor.
The ground on which Secretary of
State Lansdon refuses to certify the
huininees is that there are no nomi-
nees legally elected in the recent pri-
maries.
IN setting forth his position, Mr..
Lansdon said in part:
"Ine supreme court in its decision
on the primary law specifically stated
talt the provision therein relating 10
second choice was mandatory, and not
+ oIi-NLOl tillu lHdL llGI6lOIe Ill I'LL
cases where are twice as many candi-
dases as offices to be filled the voter
had to vote for a second choice The
supreme court further decided that
failure to vote a second choice where
SO required would invalidate the first
choice vote for that office.
1t therefore follows logically that
there must be as many second choice
votes as there are first choice votes.
That is, the total number of first
choice votes received by any candidate
where second choice vote had to be
cast must balance with the total NUM-
Der of second choice votes received by
him. If there is a Discrepancy in the
tally, then just as many first choice
votes must be invalidated as there are
second choice votes short.
sln spection of the abstracts and
rolls sent in by the various counties
so far, including II countless prove alb
solutely that in practically every pre-
cinet in the state there is shortage of
second choice votes in the case of
every contest involving the required
second choice.
"This means that the state board of
canvassers cannot proceed with the
canvassing until all errors have been
rectified. I see no other way out of
The difficulty than to send the abb
stracts back to the county boards of
canvassers with orders to have the
vote recounted in every instance where
discrepancy appears between the to-
tai of first choice votes and the total
of second choice votes. Every second |
choice vote must be accounted for or
the corresponding first choice vote |
must be invalidated. In order to as-I
certain exactly what first choice votes
are thus invalidated recount in prac- /
tically every precinct in the state will |
be necessary -
Ii the counties can finish the re-
count and return the corrected alb
stracts to the state board of canvas
sers not less than 80 days before the |
general electionI will certify the nom
inees, but only on condition that in
all cases where the second choice vote I
was involved the total number of first I
choice votes exactly tallies with the.
total number of second choice votes.
II will not be party to certifying
nominees Illegally elected. In every
close contest this would be an injus-
1ice on the part of the state board of
ennvassers against the candidate who
has been counted out by an Illegal
count in the failure of the judges to
balance first and second choice votes.
The way the matter now stands no
one can tell just who really has been
elected. l know that | would not be
willing to accept nomination and run
Tor public office under such condi-
tions.
IL the counties are unable to make
g complete recount and send in COR
rectly balanced returns on first and
second choice within the limit Of 80
days before the general election the
state central committee of each party
will have to nominate the ticket That
Is all there is to t."-Statesman