Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-09-30
Opinion Is Rendered Which
Reduces Ballot 10 OnIy '
Three Columns
Bull Moosefs, ProhibiiioDists
and Socialists Viii be
Bu1ched

& ONLY TnNeE SOSUMNS'
I. Thare will Be but three col. !
I: umns on the official ballot this :
:. year-the Republican, oemocra. =
!. tic and Individual Nominations. :
!. This is the decision Of Secretary :
:. Of State Norton, after receiving :
:: an opinion from Attorney Gen. :
: eral mlusr, and the order will =
:. 90 forth for the printing Of the >
:: ballots in this form.
so = = = Z e q + q = $t'$ -
For some time there has been a
question in the minds OF the men OF
state in North Dakota as to whether
or not the names OF candidates where
there are more than two individual
nominations for the same Office
should be placed In separate columns
or in one column under the heading.
Individual Nominations"
Two years ago Secretary Of State
T.laisdcll made up the ticket with
five or six columns, making quite a
blanket affair Of 1t, and now that the
question arose this year in the secre-
tary's Office, Secretary Norton decid
ed TO put It UP to the attorney gen,
eral for his Interpretation and receiv.
cd an opinion (which caused him to
act as above stated.
Another question which has arisen
is that referring to national parties,
and whether there are any other
than the republicans and democratic
which are entitled to have the names
Of their presidential electors placed
on a ballot under party heading.
Attorney General Miller has held that
there are no n"tional parties other
than the republican and democratic,
which are entitled to separate col
umns.
This settles it and the Bull Moos.
ers, Prohibitionlsts, Socialists and all
others will be consigned to the col
umn Of individual nominations, where
the voters will have to sort out the
candidates for whom they desire to
vote.
Following is the attorney generals
opinion in full:
State of North Dakota, Office OF
Attorney General Bismarck,
September rs, 1912.
Hon. p. D. Norton, Secretary
Of State, Bismarck, N. D. Sir:
am in receipt Of your favor Of
the Esd inst. requesting an opin-
ion OH the following proposi.
tions:
First: II there should be two
or more candidates for any state
or county Office made by indivd.
ual nominations, should the names
Of each of these candidates be
placed in separate columns, op.
posite the name Of the office for
which they might be candidates,
or should all their names be
placed in one column under the
heading, individual Nomina'
tions," and opposite the name Of
the Office for which they are can.
didates?
Second: What national par
ties, other than the republican
and democratic parties, are enti.
tied to have the names OF their
presidential electors placed on,
the ballot under party heading?
Answering your first inquiry,
in my opinion where there are
two or more candidates whose
nominations have been made as
individual nominations, their
names should be placed in one
column under the heading "la-
diyidual Nominations"
In regard to your second ques.
ton, in my opinion there are no
national parties other than re.
publican and democratic that are
entitled to have the names Of
their presidential electors placed
under ap arty heading on the bal
lot to be used at the general elec-
tion on November 5, 1912.
Yours very truly,
ANDREW MILLER,
Attorney General.
However, while it will be rather
hard for tho voter to determine his
men unless he be provided with q
printed list to 80 by, and the ballot
may have tendency to confuse those
who are intending to vote for others
than the candidates for the two lead
ing parties, yet 1t will not be as diff.
fcult to handle as the presidential
primary ballot OF last March, as upon
this ballot the five presidential cleo
tors will be grouped together De.
hind q bracket and square, where.
as in the presidential primary cleo