The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-14

|
will probably pass and become a law
with perhaps a few notifications
| The salient features of this bill are
the second choice provision and the
manner of counting the same, the
So-cailed ten per cent feature, and
the provision for the selection OF
state, central and county commit
tees. These are all new provisions
The primary law as it now exists is
used for the election machinery and
is only changed in the particulars
referred to. The first and second
choice provision is not so easily un-
derstoOd.
First and Second Choice.
On the ballet there are two COZ
umns in which the voter expresses
his preference by a cross mark (XC.
One is labeled first choice, the other
second choice. Each voter is entitled
to vote for one first choice canait
date and one second choice candi-
date. This, however, is not obEgas
tory, and unlike the provisions in
most of the other states, failure
to express a second choice does: not
destroy the ballot The provisions
for the ordinary mistakes in 2mark-
ing the ballot are so liberal that it
is almost impossible to conceive of
a voter losing his entire vote. There
is but little difficulty in casting a
vote SO far as the second choice pro-
vision is concerned.
The Battling Features.
The battling features ale those
confronting the canvassing board in
determining the nominee. Naany one
candidate has majority of first
choice votes, the choice provision
does not enter into consideration at
all. If, however, there are three or
more candidates and no candidate has
a majority, the process. adopted is
to eliminate from the consideration
the lowest candidate. For this low
est candidate there have been Sec
ond choice votes cast for the other
candidates. These = second choice
votes of such eliminated candidate
are distributed to the other candi-
dates to whom they belong, and add
ed to the first choice votes of such
candidate. If this gives any of the
such candidate becomes the nomi-
, nee. If it does not, the next low
est candidate is eliminated and the
process above mentioned repeated.
Procedure Isl Continued.
This procedure. is continued until
some candidate 6. has a majority or
there are but two candidates left,
in which instance the high one of
the two becomes the nominee. This
is almost identical with the man.
ner of nominating in a convention
where there afe three or more can
didates, none Of whom have ma
jority of the votes of the conven-
ton. In the case of the convention,
the elimination is made by the dele
gates by dropping some candidate.
usually the low man, and throwing
his vote which are equivalent to
second choice votes, to some of the
remaining candidates, and repeating
this. until some candidate has a
majority of the convention. This
system of elimination has points of
merit and is considered superior to
the provisions of some states hav-
ing second choice features.
| Procedure in Some States.
! In some Of the states, all of the
second choice votes are counted up
land added to the first choice votes.
There are two objections to this
method One is that majority
knominee is not obtained which is
ttrue under the elimination feature.
In fact, the plurality feature now
in existence in our primary law,
and which is subject to criticism,
would still exist. The second OBJ
lection is that by giving full value
to the second choice votes, voter
who votes both first and second
choice cancels and nullifies his first
choice vote by his second choice
vote. Under the elimination prop
osition, he does not cancel his first
choice vote by a second choice
vote, or at least, not to the full ex-
tent. The elimination coupled with
the second choice will practically
give majority nominees under the
primary system, thereby cutting a
defect in our present primary law.
Ten Per Cent Clause.
The so-called ten per cent clause
is for the purpose of keeping the
voters within their respective par
ties. No matter how laudable indie
pendent voting may be, primary
law is of necessity party meas
ure. The ten per cent clause of
this bill provides that candidate,
or if more than one candidate, the
candidates, must receive in the ag-
gregate at least ten per cent OF
their party vote based on the last
election. Failing to receive this ten
per cent, no candidate of the party
for the office in question can go up
on the general election ballot.
This provision is not drastic as
compared with similar provisions in
other states, for the candidates thus
falling to receive ten per cent may
still go on the general election bal
lot with party designation by pc
tition as now provided by law, and
candidate at the primaries thus
falling to secure the ten per cent
is not barred from being thus nomi-
mated by petition, nor are those vot-
ing at the primaries precluded from
signing such petition. The percent
age is not high in the proposed bill.
In other states percentages exist
as high as thirty per cent of the
party vote.
Selection of Committee.
The bill provides for the selection
of the nominees for state offices,
who shall meet as povided by the
bill at the capitol on the second
Thursday after the primaries to