The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-02-05
WOULD IMPROVE
ELECTION LAWS
Many Proposals Are Being Con-
sidered by Legislature

iinSlhBi Mlcnt ftD. O.-uittlloll
legislation will occupy "a large measure
of the attention of the Legislature this
session. Already there are in the
hands of the election committees Of
both branches bills dealing with some
Of the most important features of the
election laws. The primary statute will
receive important consideration. one
thing absolutely certain To be done
away with is the enrolment feature.
When the primary law was first
passed il was loaded down with all
the red tape possible To make ii un-
popular. The enrolment was put in
il with this purpose. In addition it
was provided that if no candidate re-
ceived 40 per cent of the vote of his
party, the nomination should be made
by convention system. II was expect
ed that three or four candidates would
get into the field and so split the vote
that none would have 40 per cent, and
thus the primary would soon be
thrown into the discard.
The 40 per cent requirement was
soon repealed, but the enrolment has
been maintained on the good argument
that no man of one party has a right
To interfere in the nomination Of Of
iicers in another party. But ii has
been found clumsy, and most decided
ly unpopular The demand for its abol-
ition has become so general and so
strong, that there is no doubt at all
about its repeal. To take its place,
there are those who would hand out
a blanket ballot and let each voter
mark it as he chooses, without regard
10 party. But if this were to be the
general practice, we would have
adopted nom partisanship in all cleo
tions, because we would be nominating
without regard To party.
One Alternative Plan.
Senator James has a somewhat
unique plan TO take the place of the
enrolment. He proposes to place at
the head of the ballot squares for
each of the political parties. The vot-
er, upon entering the booth, would
first make "a cross in one OF these
10 signify that his preference was for
a particular party.1 The ballot would
be entirely secret, but after the voter
had so marked This ballot DESIGNATING
himself as Republican, for instance.
he would be bound. To vote for no can
didates except those on the Republican
ticket. If, however, he did vote for a
man on one OF the other tickets that
particular vote would not be counted.
Another suggestion is thatta perfor-
alton should be made between each
party ballot so thsftIuhc voters, in the
booth could tear off the tcitetiihe de-
sired To vote and when he DEPOSITED
this In the ballot box he should at the
same time deposit the unused part o,
the ballot IN another sealed boX.
Senator Sam Odell has introduced
Il bill providing for replacing the pres
cnt senatorial advisory primary, in
case the federal constitution should
fail of amendment to permit the di
rect election of United States senators
The weakness Of the present law is
the freedom of members of the legis-
lature to disregard the primaries. "A
weakness that all but resulted in a
scandal at this present session of the
legislature Odelrs bill provides that
each candidate for the legislature
shall, before election, sign one of two
forms, which shall be made public and
held against him if he enters the leg
islature. In one form he agrees to vote
for the man for United States senator
who receives the highest number of
votes and in the other form he de-
clares he will not be influenced by the
vote of the people, but will vote as he
sees fit when he gets TO Lansing. Ma
turally the man who signs the latter
statement would not get very close to
Lansing.
Wants Australian Ballot.
Another election bill provides for
the Australian ballot 1t bars en-
blems or pictures from the head of
the ballots. The names of the can
didates would be placed one under the
other and the voters would mark their
ballots for men rather than pictures.
Representative Monteith. of st, |
Clair, has gone even farther with his |
election ideas. He has introduced a bill |
providing for the non-partisan nomi- |
nation and election of the judicial and |
educational officers of the state. This |
would apply to all the state officers |
elected in the spring, except the state |
highway commissioner. and he might |
as well be included.
Senator James has in a bill requir- |
ing the return of election results by |
each election board direct to the Sec
rotary of state as well as to the coun-
ty clerk and county canvassers. This |
is to hurry up the determination of re-
sulis A moi her. Of his hills IraI.idns fG. |