Gilpin observer., 1912-02-08
Operation of Il
Primary Law

dates which becomes effective this
year, does not apply to the city ell
-ection to be held here this coming
April. The new law Is SO complicated
and the people so unfamiliar with its
operation, the town would be thrown
into an awful muddle II the nominees
for the city offices had to be named
at the primaries. By the time the
county and state primary is held, the
voters will have taken the time to
familiarize themselves with the work
ing OF the new law and the chances
of mistakes will be lessened.
As very few of the voters OF the
county have been unable to procure
a copy of the primary law and many
are asolutely in the dark as to the
manner in which nominations are
made under the direct primary, the
Observer prints the salient features
OF the law. In due time the secre-
tary Of state will have copies Of the
bill printed for circulation among the
voters SO that they may become ac-
quainted with its provisions and be
able to vote intelligently when they
register their choice Of candidates.
In substance, the new law requires
two principal elections. instead OF
only one as heretofore. The first will
be held this year on September 10th,
being direct primary to name can
didates. At that time the voters of
hnI nd dot t0c
who have by petition announced their
desire to run, or for those who may
have been named by Assemblies"
the latter being much the same as
the old time conventions. More than
one ballot upon candidates for each
office is prohibited at the assembly.
and the name Of every candidate
receiving 10 per cent or more OF the
votes shall be placed on the direct
primary ballot. Each candidate so
designated by assembly shall file his
acceptance in writing.
Petitions Of willing candidates shall
be signed by a certain number of
qualified voters, 800 for any national,
. state or judicial, senatorial or legis-
lative district office. and 100 for any
county office. Each elector who signs
must make oath that he intends to
vote for this candidate at the Sep
tember direct primary election. and
. that he has not signed the petition of
any other candidate for the same Of
flee, and the petitions also must have
the written acceptance Of the candi-
date. The petition must be filed with
the secretary or state or county clerk
as the case may be. not more than go
nor less than 80 days before the prt-
mary election Of September 10th.
Not later than August 21 the Sec
retary of state must furnish each
county clerk with a list Of the ma
tional, state and district candidates
to be voted for by each political par
ty in that county. and not later than
August 81, the county clerk shall
have published once In two news
papers representing opposite political
faith list Of all candidates to be
voted for on September 10th.
At this first election there is a bal
lot for each party. showing all the
nominations made by petition and by
assembly for candidates for that par
ty. Each voter is given one ballot
Of each Of the parties. and is expect
ei to mark only the one representing
his own party. indicating his choice
for each of the offices. This ballot
he places In the ballot box and he
returns the other party ballots, plac-
ing them in the blank ballot" box.
To participate at this primary ell
ection. the voter must be full cit
izen, and have been in the state one
year, in the county 80 days, and in
the precinct 10 days before Septem-
Der 10th. The voter indicates his
choice Of candidates for each office
either by placing cross mark (x)
opposite one :. Of the. names there
printed. or by writing in the name
OF some other eligible person, but
he must not write the name Of any
candidate on either OF the other par
ty tickets.
At this September primary the new
law requires that there shall be ell
ected by each party in each precinct
a precinct committeeman and COM
mitteewoman, and the persons SO ell
ected shall constitute the county
central committee, and shall elect a
chairman and vice-chairman, who in
trrn constitute the state central COM
mittee. The state candidates. candi-
dates for Legislature, hold-over sena-
tors and state chairman shall draft
the party platform.