Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-02-01
NEEDED CHANGES
In PRIMARY LAW
Radical Changes In the Primary Sta.
tute Proposed by Majority
Of the Legislature

Republicans generally are on re-
cord in faver of radical improvements
in the direct primary law. Experience
has demonstrated to the satisfaction
of most men that voters will jump
from one side to the other at pri-
mary elections and disregard their
proper party affiliations to attain
some selfish object.
1t is charged by Republicans that
Democrats have fallen into the habit
Of voting in Republican primaries to
bring about the nomination of weak
candidates or to stir up discord in
order that they may profit thereby
at the election in the fall. 1t IL al
so admitted on all sides that the
Republicans of Lincoln county went
over in body in some precincts to
the Democratic side to advance the
cause of county division.
This is the evil the Republican
leaders are most anxious to remedy.
A bill passed both houses two years
ago to compel the registration OF the
politics of every voter at the primary
election, but the bill was vetoed by
Governor Hawley and the bill that
finally passed and received the sane
ton of the governor was lacking In
that feature.
Now it Is understood that the ad-
ministration has a bill In preparation
to add this and other important fea-
lures to the present law, AMI 1t Is
announced that it will have the back
ing OF the administration in its pas
sage through the legislature 1t will
be introduced in a day or two.
This bill provides for a number of
important changes In the present
law. First of these Is the change in
date from the last Tuesday In July
to the first Tuesday in September.
1t is argued that it will be better in
every way to shorten the time be-
tween the primary election and the
general election and subject the peo-
pie of the state to less political tur-
moil.
NfNy1a Inn tnrN hy fr fN hA
eliminated. The authors of the bill
can see no reason for continuing this
provision in the law, as it seems to
have fallen into disuse. 1t is also
provided that where a person files
his own nomination papers no ac-
ceptance of the nomination eed be
filed by him.
Nonpartisan nomination Of judges
is provided for. A column Is requir-
ed on all party ballots in which are
to be placed under the proper OFF,
cial designation, but without regard
to party designation OF any kind, the
names of all candidates for judicial
positions under the state government.
Provision is also made for non-par-
tisan column on the general election
ballot in which the names of all can
didates for judicial positions are to
be carried
Provision is also made on the pri-
mary ballot for the election of pre-
cinct committeeman of the different
parties, and these are to be men,
bers of the county central committees
of the opposing parties. The form OF
the ballot is given to conform to
the changes in the law.
Most interest will, of course, CEN
ter in the provision in the new bill
providing for the compulsion OF every
voter supporting his own party. Each
elector at the time he offers to vote
must call for the ballot of that party
of which he is a member. He Will
be given his party ballot and no
other. Right to challenge voters
who undertake to vote outside their
own party is provided for and the
form of oath to be taken Is given.
The oath Is to be administered by
one of the judges.
One other provision OF the new
bill will meet with general favor, 1t
Is thought. This Is the one that
makes it impossible for any man
after voting at a primary election to
sign a petition to nominate a can
didate against those placed In the
field at the primary. No such voter
will be permitted to accept nomin-
alton by petition after participating
in the primary.
This, the authors Of the bill ex-
plain, is to discourage "sore head
politics. Heretofore voters have
gone into the primary Apparently in
good faith; but after being beaten
there they have gone out to circu-
late petitions and work for the defeat
of the men named in the primary.
One provision OF the bill 10 intend