The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1913-07-03
SECRETARY OF STATE ISSUES
STATEMENT ON NEW PRl-
MARY LAW.
FULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE
VOTER.
Provisions of Amended Statute Are
Radically Different From Old
Law All Parties Are to Appear
On the Same Ballot.
IBy Gurd NJ. Hayes.l

during the past session or the leg
islRture many radical changes were
made in the primary election laws.
The party enrolment was abolished
and so many new features were added
that Secretary of State Martindale's
Office has been flooded by inquiries
concerning the amended statute. In
order that the people might know the
changes that have been made and just
what their duties will be at the next
primary election, Secretary Martin
dale prepared the following state
ment:
BY the enactment of Act No. 11S
of the Public Acts of 1913. the party
enrolment of electors will no longer
be necessary.
The qualification for an elector to
participate in primary election will
only be to have his name properly
registered, as is required for other
elections. A qualified elector may be
registered and eligible to vote at any
primary election, If he shall appear
in person before the city or township
clerk, or other officers in charge of
the registration book and take the
oath required as to qualifications for
registration. A qualified elector may
also be registered by the election in
spectors on any primary day, by max
ing oath or affirmation that he is
qualified elector in the particular pre-
cinct, and any person registering on
any primary day shall be entitled TO
vote at the registering on any pri-
mary day shall be entitled to vote at
the succeeding election without other
registration. There shall be no regis
tration day or days for primary, gen
eral or city elections, except as pre-
scribed by the general election laws.
In previous primary elections a sep
arate ballot has been necessary for
each political party. and the ballot
given an elector corresponded with
the political party with which he was
identified, as shown by the enrolment
book. The ballot to be used in flu
ture primary elections will be one and
the same, containing the names of
candidates of different political par
ties in separate columns. At the head
OF each column shall be indicated
the political party and directly under
such head a circle one-half inch in
diameter. Under this head shall APP
pear the names of the candidates
seeking nomination in the particular
party. In voting the ballot the voter
shall make a cross (X) in the circle
beneath the heading of the party col
umn of the ticket which he desires to
vote, and then make a cross (X) in
the square at the left OF the names of
such candidates in his party column
as he may desire to vote for. The
voter may vote for any person whose
name is not printed in such party col
umn by inserting any name in such
manner as will make it a substitute
for any name which is printed there
In or where no candidates name APP
pears in such column. The voter
in the circle beneath the heading of
the party column and a cross (X) at
the left Of the names of all candi-
dates for which he desires to vote If
the voter fails to place a cross (X)
In the circle at the head of the party
I)lumn, the votes for all candidates
indicated by the (X) at the left of
the names Of such candidates shall
be counted, provided such voter does
not vote for other candidates in any
other party column. If the voter does
not place the cross (X) in the circle
at the head of the party column and
votes for candidates in more than one
column by placing a cross (X) at the
left OF the names OF the candidates,
the entire ballot shall be void II the
voter places a cross (X) at the left
of the candidates name, the ballot
shall be void and rejected as to all
names appearing for that Office.
The order OF the party tickets on
the ballot shall be determined by the
party having the greatest number OF
votes in the state at the last preceding
general election, as shown by the vote
cast for secretary for state; the posi-
ton of the other party tickets to be
governed respectively by the same rul-
ing. The order OF the party tickets
on the ballot at the general primary
election to be held in 1914 will be
Republican first National Progress
sive second, Democrat third. Social
list fourth and Prohibition fifth.
The number OF petitioners required
by any candidate remains the same
as under the existing primary, !. e.,
two per cent and not more than four
per cent of the number OF votes such
party cast for secretary OF state at
the last preceding November election
in the state, district. county, etc, as
the case may be.
The old law provides that party
candidates OF new party for a state
once may obtain the printing OF the