Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-05-25
CHANGES IN
PRIMARY LAW
Election Will Be Held On Tuesday
July 30-Nomination Papers
Must Be Filed Soon.
LIMIT ELECTION EXPENSES
State Platforms Must Be Drafted 30
Days Before Primaries.

Prospective candidates for county
Offices should bear in mind that the
primary election this year occurs on
Tuesday, July 80 and that all noni
nation papers must be filed with |
the county auditor 80 days prior to
election, or on June 30,
Among the principal changes
made in the primary law by the
last legislature was the one in re-
gard to the. printing of the ballots.
Two years ago all names were
entered on the ballots in alphabetic
order, This, it is claimed by many,
gave considerable advantage to the
candidate whose name headed the
list.
This year the names will de placed
on the ballot in alphabetic order,
but the position of the names will
be changed in each office division
as many times as there are candi
dates for in that particular office
division. For instance, if 5000
ballots are required for primary
election in Bonner county and there
are five candidates say for sheriff,
1000 ballots will be printed with
Bill Brown $ name first under the
heading of sheriff. Then Brown
name will be lifted out and placed
at the bottom of the list and another
1000 ballots printed with John
Jones' name at the top, and so on
down the list. The ballots will be
kept in five separate piles and as
sembled so that every other ballot
shall have the name of each candi-
date i'll a different position. The
ballots will then be bound in blocks
of 100 each.
The new law makes it optional
with the voter whether or not he
shall vote for second choice candi-
date. The candidate receiving the
highest number and not less than
40 per cent of the first choice votes
shall be declared the nominee. If
no one receives 40 per cent, then
the first and secord choice votes
are added together and the highest
man is the nominee,
Under the old law IS per cent of
the first year S salary was permitted
for personal expenses of candidates,
whether for state, district or county
Offices, This year 1t Is IS per cent
for state offices, congressman or U.
S. Senator, Is per cent for candi-
dates for district Judge and 10 per
cent for county officers, except
commissioners and members of the
Legislature and they are limited to
500 each.
On the 18th day after the pri-
mary election the county nominees
shall meet and select a central com
mittee of not less than one or more
than three members from each pre-
cinct. The 25th day after the pri-
mary election the county central
committee shall meet for the pur-
pose of organization and also to
elect member of the state central
committee.
The present county central COM
mittees of all political parties must
meet at the county seats on the
second Tuesday in June of this
year and select delegates to a state
platform convention, In this con
vention each county will be entitled
to three delegates for each member
it has in the lower house of the
Legislature. The state platforms
will thus be drafted a month before
the primary election. If any candi-
date for state Office does not choose
to run OH the platform adopted, he
can withdraw from the race provid-
ing he does so within ten days
after the adoption of the platform.