The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-12-17
The Preference Ballot

direct primaries and other nomina.
tion methods in preparation Tor the
March referendum, it is worth while
10 investigate any and all forms In
use elsewhere to the end that when
Vernon acts it may adopt the plan
that both theory and practice con.
firm as tho scheme best fitted for our
own particuia: needs. About two
years ago, in an editorial note, this
paper sugges. ed the possibility or
dolng away entirely with straight
party nominations and combining
the primary with the election ITSELF,
both 10 be conducted together. We
had in mind something similar TO
the plan followed so successfully in
Randolph and many other towns for
choosing their town representatives.
No party caucuse are held. bur can.
dida:es are placed on tho official
ballot By petition OF one per cent Of
tho voters and tho voters proceed 20
e!cc. from among them.
We learn chat a scheme very sim
liar 20 this has been tried out recently
ty AZ least ten of the large cities or
the country-somo Of them contain.
ms u larger population than The
who.e stato OF Vermont-ior the
the choice or their city officials. II
l. called the preference ballot.
These cities have already adopted It;
--1icveland, O.. Nashua. y. H.,
Grand Junction. Spokane, Wash,
Pueblo, Col. Duluth, Mimi, Portland
Ore, Denver. Col. Colorado Springs
and New iberia. la, and Detroit
Mich, has /, incorporated in its
now charter. From an OF these vide
ako aad prcgrcssiyc cities comes
IN same report OF general satisiac.
jioa with tho plan on account Of rs
fairness, is simplicity and its eftec-
,iycness.
The method is as follows: -Candi-
dates Tor tho several Offices obtain
pieces en- the official ballot by petit
items indicating 4 popular demand
fer hem. They are listed under any
party designation they may choose
and the.o may be Two or moro rep.
resenting tho same party Opposite
the name Oi each candidate are three
SPACES. one each Tor first. second
and third choice. The voter is in.
s;ructed to mark his first choice for,
Say. mayer; then IN the next column
his second choice and in the third
his third choice. He does this down
the cn'lec list OF Offices TO be filled.
he canno, mark more than one irst
o. second choice. When the ballo,s
ara counted. II any ainsic candidate
has majority ot all the first choices
fer an Office he is elected 60 the
cnlco II none has q majority, then
tho second choices are added 20 the
frs. and II this fails to yield any
enc majority the third choices are
added. should q majority still be
lacking, The candidate who has the
grea est number OF first. second and
third chcices added together Is the
oalcor. elect.
The advantages OF this system are
clear. 1t does away with all the pre-
liminaries to election save the Pc
ti.ions fer place on tho ballot. The
voters 90 not have 10 engage In vir.
tually Two campaigns in order
cicc. This saves e very great cx
pandimuc OF money and energy or
the par Of candida es ana their sup
por.ers. r. also shoTtcns Tho eau
yass ;erially sad creates less dis
turbausc. II brings Tho whole ques-
ton right hcme 10 the mass Of The
voters when they are assembled Tor
the actual choice, instead OF by the
process % partial elimination. with
all tho disappointment, resultant
Tho voters assemble bur once. in
stead OF twice. as ac present
Another merit OF The preference
ballot "a that while giving the voters
chance to sclec, their officials az.
rec"y, a reasonable opportunity Is
anOdea Tor the majority, rather
,nIn minority. 40 rule. This is
worked out through tho operation OF
the second and third choices. II ire.
quenuy happens under present
methods or nomination, and even
clec,.cn. Ma. the candidate chosen
by acre plurality Is net tho choice
ci tho majority and he may even be
The ono Toast desired by ;hc real ma
ioTiiy. liuraiity choice IS the refuge
o. The sliAful politician who. in
divided ne'd. commands tho support
81 certain percentage. bur less
than ha.f. 81 the whole voting public
b. o-ian defeats the real will OF The
people. who happen 10 Dc SO divided
between other candidates that taey
Csrnl. concentrate against the one
l-hcy icast faeO-. ANY statewide Dri-
mary sg.tcm is open TO this ohicc-
ton. b.. with he preference bal
lo 8. g. different instead @. one al.
temp, at @ majority there are three.
e. ,hc same time. on the same bal.
TO- Tho candidate who led on FIRST
ChoiC, by Cd plurality might fail &c
hind Uan second and third choice
were reckoncd.
Tho plural voting arrangement de-
sCr,bcd would almost certainly bring
about the success - the political
party to which the majority %, The