Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-03
New Primary Law Questions.

discuss the law relative TO pOllllCdI
party enrolment in connection with
the primary election to be held in this
State, on June Il. The editorial was
suggested by a news article in the
Portland Evening Express, in which
it was incidentally stated that there
were some 1900 voters to be enrolled
in Portland E We therefore, assumed
that there were that number of voters
not already enrolled in that city, and
said, among other things: There is
no occasion for alarm because there
are some 1900 voters to be enrolled in
Portland. Enrolment may begin now,
and continue until June H."
Possibly from this circumstance the
Portland Press seems to have derived
the impression of an assumption on
our part that in order to vote at the
June primaries voters already enrolled
must be enrolled anew, though we
certainly did not mean TO be so un-
derstood. In the course of a clear and
clean-cut editorial upon the subject
(for the complimentary illusions in
which we gratefully doff our cap, the
Press propounds the following ques-
ton:
ais new enrolment now required
of all voters who have already enroll
ed as by act of 1903?" The question
may be eategorieally answered: mo.
A voter who has been enrolled at any
time is not required to enroll again.
"Once enrolled, always enrolled" un-
less the voter desires to change his
party allegiance. In such case the law
provides that "a new enrolment may
be made at any time, but the person
making such new enrolment shall not
vote in any political caucus within six
months thereafter if he designate
different political party from that
named by him in the preceding enroll
ment." OR. S. Oh. 6. Sec. 1929.
AS applied to primary elections,
therefore. the law may be summarized
as follows:
1. Subject to the statement relative
to change of party allegiance in be-
low, a voter who has heretofore been
enrolled as a member of any political
party may vote on the ballot of that
party at any primary election without
new enrolment.
2. A voter enrolled as member of
a given political party may enroll him
self anew as member of another po-
liticaI party, but if such new enroll
mont has been or shall be made subse-
quent to December II, 1911, he cannot
participate in the June, 1912 primaries.
3. A voter who is not now enrolled
as a member of any political party
may at any time prior to any primary
election enroll himself as a member of
some party by filing the required writ
ten declaration with the clerk of his
town or city, and vote at such primary
election. He may also be enrolled on
primary election day at the polls, if
not previously enrolled, by subscribing
to the required oath before ballot
clerk.
We find that another question with
reference to our primary election law
is occasioning more or less discussion
in different parts of the State. Sup
pose r to be the Republican, and d
the Democratic candidate at the prim-
aries for a certain office Each politi-
cal party has separate ballot, differ
ing in color from that of other political
parties A Democratic voter desires
TO vote for r, the Republican candi-
date instead of for ID. This he cor
rectly does by writing upon the Demo-
cratic ballot he receives the name Of
r in the blank space provided for that
purpose, and marking cross at the
right of that name Does the ballot
count for r as the Democratic, or as
the Republican candidate for the Of
fice2 The answer is clear: The vote
is counted for r as the Democratic,
and not as the Republican candidate
for the office. Every person voted for
on Democratic ballot is voted for as
Democratic candidate, and every
person voted for on Republican bal
lot is voted for as Republican candi
date. Should enough Democrats vote
in like manner for r he would receive
the highest number of votes thrown
ON Democratic ballots for the Office,
and would become the Democratic
nominee therefor. He might also re-
ceiye the highest number of votes
thrown ON Republican ballots, with
the result, which is legally possible,
that he would be the nominee for the
given Office Of both parties.
The reason for this is easily SEEN
and lies al the very foundation of the
primary election law A primary
election is nothing but series Of
party caueuses on a large scale it's