Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-11-28
Voting Machines.
From the New YorL Sr

YIN XVI
Inc first machine built and actually
used i'll the United States was the
Myers. which vas used in Lockport.
n. Y. in 1892. The election for the en-
tire city of Rochester. ". V. in 1893
Was conducted by using three
machines. The first state law author
izlng their use was passed in New York
IN 1857. and applied only to towns. In
1893 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 1859 i'll Indiana and Ne
braska. and later in Iowa. In 1900
h Island appointed a commission
to regulate their use. The first per
manent commission on state voting
machines was created in New York in
1897. Massachusetts and Ohio followed
in 1898.
The advantages claimed for the ma
chfnes are economy, speed, accuracy
and greater honesty. a constitutional
question is often raised With regard to
the use of voting machines when the
provision Is that h voting Shall be
by ballot AS a general proposition.
their use has been upheld as within the
broad meaning of that term.
A machine which cannot register a
certain combination of candidates.
thereby making it necessary for am
voter wishing to vote for UGH q COM
bination to apply to the inspector Cor
a paper ballot. and in so doing disclose
his intention not to vote for his full
party ticket, does not afford at oplor-
tunity to vote a secret ballot and there-
fore cannot lawfully De used
The cOnStitutionality of voting TT
Rhin0S hoe n0c, 1,nnn nIyaSfilr-% - -
ground that they do not insure ss.-.s
In that when an elector vo.S 8 Sti
ticket persons very close 81 cS Eft-
chine MAJ at times hear : -31sss 10
click caused by the movsir=lt - -nt
lever, which is necessary sTs1'ss"t
straight party column. No cliA-In VIZ
made in this case that sGe1 "a 'F@s
choppers could learn in what va NJ
what candidate the elector Ne-s.i M
but simply that he had not veal .
straight ticket. and no decisieI vas
rendered upon that point.
Failure to. place a proper hsse21f
upon a local option proposition = :
voting machine, failure to numoss -
propositions according to the seas-ae
OF the liquor tax law, and failure ~
make the instruction card cores.
represent the face OF the machine s-s
not such Irregularities as to invalioase
O0RGAIGtbbS
aeppears to be p~rejudiced thereby. Aha
IN h case Of voting on a proposition
the fact that the machine had iHs
words Yes" and no." instead OF for
and against" as prescribed by stat
ute, WAS held not to inNalidate the
vote where no one was deceived there
by.
Under the acts of 1900 and 1901 OF
Rhode Island q town or city may
change from q specific kind OF votins
machine to another approved by the
state board, but may not change from
the use Of machines to h method IN
use prior to their adoption. A voter
may not enjOin h use Of voting ma
chimes. since such use relates to a
purely political right.
Nor can q voter restrain the purchase
by y city or county of voting machines
on the ground that his vote will be en-
dnnEcred by alleged imperfections IN
INC machines. nor on the ground that
~ y taxpayer he will suffer loss by be
ink compelled to pay for an Imperfect
machine. when by the terms Of the
contract the city or county will incur
no liability until after q practical test
every element Of doubt IL solved in ia
Sor 0f the utility OF the machine.
Gtr Archibald tGeikje tells a story OF
= S~cotchtnAn who. much against his
Will. waB persuaded to take q hoii
day. He went 20 Egypt and visited the
pytMmtds. After gaying for some time
~ tho great pyramid he muttered:
INV. what = Int NJ .masnn work no