New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-21
URGES BALLOT reform
Fosdick Would Prevent SID
Trouble as Occurred Last Tin'|
HE DID NOT FIND. FRAN
But Mix-Up Over Roosev.
That Delayed Votes ShouH
Be Avoided, He Saws

AS the result Of an investigate,
failure Of the Board OF Elections to 49,
erly deliver the ballots at thu ND
on March 2o' Raymond B. Fosdick ..
missioner of Accounts, in a re,.-
Mayor Gaynor makes a number o.
mendations that he believes will M.
recurrence Of the trouble Il va
failure of the ballots TO arrive q, .
of the polling places that caused "a.
ayers Of the Roosevelt fight for a.
to the Republican National Convent.
raise cries OF fraud"
The Commissioner SAYS that Ia
able TO learn the exact number ~ -,
who were disfranchised for lsck ~
lots, but 1t must have run into N. \.
sands. He finds the cause to nav. :.
the failure of the printers 10 get IA.
lots around on time, due in a great
ure 10 the fact that the Board ., ~
tons did not award the printing CONT
as soon as they might have done -
criticized the Board of Elections ~.
ing to notify the election officials =,
right Of the voter 20 write his own h.r
in case the regular ballots were M, =
nished. Not a suggestion Of fraud, :,
discovered by the Commissioner
At present the regular polling MA.
one election district is used for ,bs :
mary Of the voters OF the donin,n, -
in two election districts. The votIny,..
in the other district is used for ~
mary Of the other party men in bo,s a,
tricts.
Commissioner FosdiclS recomm.,s,,,,
the law be amended so as 10 mak. \.
primary and election district coterr,,,
This would tend 10 avoid mistakes,
says, "by eliminating the confusio. A,
to the requirement of the present IA. !,
the delivery Of official ballots in differ.
election districts for the primary than r.
one in which the ballots TO be used hr Il
same voters are delivered for n. ar
ton"
Another recommendation is tia,
election district. instead Of the Assem-
district, be made the unit Of represers
ton. This would do away with The
wieldy ballots and make the process
printing and delivery simpler.
We believe this recommendation a.
the change OF the unit Of represen,s.
from the Assembly district TO the "a
tion district 10 be Of the utmost iny
ance," he says Under the present
and party rules. the primary ballots
the fall OF 1919. when candldstes for
Mayorslty are 10 be nominated, vii
even longer than those used at the Yt
primary Of 1912.
1T is estimated that in some Of the
sembly districts, under the present IL
probation of the law. the ballot viii ns
a length Of twenty feet. No intellie
voting can be done under such sysV-
Commissioner Fosdick also sugcd
that the contract for printing and dslu
ing the ballots be advertised and swsNi
prior TO tho last day for fling deSigt
tons and destinations lie says
greater efforts should be used by
Board OF Elections in preparing copy
the ballots after the last day for fh
destinations. II ought not 10 take
weeks 10 prepare the copy he declsH
If the proper methods arc used.
Commissioner Fosdick says he did
want to urge an amendment 20 the
curtailing tho time within which
orders changing tho form Of the %
could be obtained. II might work a ~
shin 10 some one whose name was
properly printed on the ballot. Press
Britt of the Board Of Elections snsps
such an amendment. 80