The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-30
Amendments Change
 The Ballot Law
Process of Voting Either
 Straight or Split Ticket
ACT SIMPLIFIED
 BY LEGISLATURE
"Drys' and Socialists May
 Have Counters Now

| OHe Ol In0 llllngS QOne by the Gen. | era1 Assembly after it had reached a | fairly advanced age, was to amend the present Australian ballot law and to | make those amendments operative at the town elections to be held on Mon- day of next week. It was crowding the mourners a little, but the secre- tary of the state got copy 6f the engrossed bill as soon as it was sign ed and printed it in pamphlet form. These pamphlets were mailed to the town clerks throughout the state in generous quantities and more copies | were given to the representatives from the towns in order that persons interested might familiarize them selves with the new order of things in the little time at their disposal With one exception the clarifying T. T1ngier of Vernon and it is now hard to see how the most dense voter can get bewildered, but there is one change, which is brought about by the law as it stood last year which the voter should notice, and that is that the Democratic instead of the Repub- lican ticket occupies the left-hand column. The original act provided that the party polling the highest number of votes for governor at the last general election should have that place and the election of Governor Baldwin brought the Democratic tick ct into the left-hand column, changing g place with the Republican of last year.
 The ballot has the same checker board squares at the left of the names of the candidate and the same circle at the head of each party column, but these are to be treated in a different manner than last year. Stripped Of y1lo,, e,, ics told hot if he desires to vote straight, that is, for every candidate on his party tick ct, he must mark an x in the circle at the head of his party column and the deed is done, and as before, he must mark it with pencil having cated.
 If the elector does not wish to vote straight ticket, 2 if he does not wish to vote for all the candidates the procedure is almost as simple because it is provided that he shall not mark an x in any of the circles but instead. shall mark one in the square at the left of the name of each candidate for whom he wishes to vote. There is, however, one ex- ception and that lies. in the event that a voter desires to designate which of two candidates he prefers for the office of first selectmen. In this case
 
 the square at the left of the name Of the candidate he favors and an x at the left of the other candidate for selectman
 The first selectman clause is the first attempt to give the voter chance to show his preference be, tween candidates for that office and it remains to be seen how it will work out. From a reading of the law it is hard to see how voting correct ticket requires a great deal of mental effort
 There are two other changes, but they do not affect the act of voting the ticket. One, provides that when nominations are made for town, clty or borough officers, the list of norni- nations shall be given to the town, city or borough clerk for revision and shall be forwarded to the state sec retary by such official, instead Of oe-' ing sent by the caucus officials, as was provided by the act of 1909. The other change permits any party hay ing a state central committee, or it's equivalent, to have counters, proN1d- ed applications is made to the regis trars three days before the election. quest of the Drohibitionists and so- cialists and appealed to the legislators as being reasonable.
 The same pink sample ballots are to be distributed and the real ballots are provided with numbered stub the same as last year, but it is hard to see how the voters can get tangled with the law as it is now ironed out. Dubtless there will be voters -who will attempt to scratch can didate by marking out his name, or who will mark an x in more than one circle, but there should be no bother if the voters will recall that they must make an X in the circle at the head of party column if they desire to vote that ticket in it's en- tirety and if they wish to vote a split ticket, they must make an X in the check at the left of the name of each candidate for whom they wish to- vote. t