The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-11-28
Voting Machines.
From the New York S

WIN oab
The first machine built and actually
used in the United States was the
Myers, which was used in Lockport,
AZ. Y, In 1892. The election for the en-
TIRE city of Rochester, N. Y, in 1893
was conducted by using se~yenty-three
machines. The first state law author
Ring their use was passed in New York
IN 1882. and applied only to towns. In
1873 Massachusetts and Michigan au-
Thorized the use of machines In local
elections; in 1894 New York authorized
their use in all elections outside of
New York and Kings counties; in 1895
their further use was authorized IN
michigan and Connecticut; in 1896 in
massachusetts,, 1897 in Minnesota. 1898
IN Ohio, in 1889 in Indiana and Ne
braska, and later in Iowa. In 1900
Rhode Island appointed a commission
TO regulate their use. The first per-
Jmanent commission on state voting
machines was created in New York in
1897. Massachusetts and Ohio followed
an 1888.
The advantages claimed for the ma
-cnines are economy. speed,
ana greaters honesty. A constitutional
question is often raised with regard to
the use of voting machines when the
provision Is that the voting shall be
py baiiot. As a general proposition,
their use has been upheld as within the
broad meaning OF that term.
"a AiaSlititN nIliEn cannot register a
-certain combination of candidates.
thereby making 1t necessary for any
voter wishing to vote for such a COM
nination to apply to the inspector for
z P ballot, and in so doing disclose
MS intention not to vote for his full
nar1y ticket, does not afford an oppor-
Lun1ty to vote a secret ballot and there
core cannot lawfully be used.
Ine constitutionality of voting ma
Snines has also been questioned on the
ground that they do not insure secrecy
an That when an elector votes a spIit
ticket persons very close to the ma
chine may at times hear a noise or
Click caused by the movement of the
lever, which Is necessarily employed
when the elector goes out OF h
Nraign party column. No claim was
made In this case that such caves
saIoppers could learn n what way or
Wnat candidate the elector voted for.
nut SIMPLY that he had not voted q
straight ticket. and no decision -was
upon that point.
faliure TO place a proper heading
upon q local option proposition ia g.
voting machine. failure to number tba
propositions according to the scheme
81 the liquor tax law, and failure to,
nah the instruction card correctly
represent the q of the machine are
not such Irregularities as to fnyalidata
a. election. especially when NO voter
appears TO be prejudiced thereby. And.
N the case of voting on a proposition.
thu fact that the machine had ths
words yes" and mo-" instead Of HforS
2 against as prescribed By stat
ute, was held not to invalidata Il
BY. s0aNeu .here-
Under the acts Of 1900 and 1901 e
hnode Island a town or civ NAV
chang from a specific kind OF voting
machine TO another approved by the
state board, but may not change from
the use ofsmachines to the method IN
Us prior to their adoption. a voter
may not enjoin the use of voting ma
cnines, since such use relates ia 4
purely political right.
Nor can a voter restrain the purchase
Dy e city or county of voting machines
onsthe ground that his vote WIN Be- en-
by alleged imperfectionr il
tnesf machines, nor on the ground that
as taxpayer he will suffer loss nv be-
ing compelled to pay for an irnnerfacf
when by the terms &c Tia
contract h city or county viii incur
noeltabiiity until after a practical fa1t
every element OF doubt is solved in "a
oI#the utility OF the machine