The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-02

april :, 1919.
SENATE BILL No. 343
AN ACT to enable counties, townships and
cities to purchase and use voting ma
mary elections; providing for the pay
Voting Machine Commission and pre-
scrlblng its compensation, duties and
p P0TTe rsa establilshing rules for the care
for election boards of three members in
Ss9o 3s9 gases @oI amending sections 1919
Re- repeating aI said original section.
Sc SECTION 1. That section 1919 of the Cen
ed to Eead as Of for 1902 be amend
ana an after the passage of this act. the board
OF county commissioners of any county
special meeting thereof, provide for the
purchase and use of automatic ballot or
or more precincts thereof, at all elections
he me d therein; and it shall be lawful for the
township board Sh any Of a any t S5 the
upon upon the purchase and use of 'I au
tomato ballot or voting machines at all
t towushi1 TO De held within said city
precincts thereof; and thereupon such bal
Parp pfsst Of voting for all public Officers to
c cG erected fe, 5y the voters of said county
for Witch the sha IF have bses
adopted, and upon all constitutional
which may be lawfully OF s 9fesitfns
to such voters, and shall be used lsed
or other officers at anV e lec a nd ee
regilsterlng and counting the ballots cast at
f sora e eIect1on; Proyided, however, that be-
township board or mayor and council, or
may mayor ri and commissioners, of any city
purchase or order the use of any auto
ficarc t ball9t or voting machine, said Of
means within their knowledge and shall
sausIy themselves that the automatic bal
chased are thoroughly reliable and correct
Ia their operation, easily understood and
no automatic ballot voting machine shall
pc adopted or used in this state at any
election, unless such ballot or voting ma,
chine is SO constructed and can be operated
as to insure the absolute secrecy of each
voters ballot and provided with mechan-
ism which will autOmati caIly keep an ac-
curate numerical register and account of
said machine may be used and which viii
also conceal and keep from view the num-
Der of ballots cast. for any and ali candi-
dates balloted for from the opening of the
polls to the closing thereof; provided
missioners of any county, the township
board of any township, or the mayor and
any city, upon the purchase of voting ma
chimes, may contract for such number of
machines as may be necessary and pro
vide for the payment thereof in such man
ner as they may deem for the best interest
erai revenue fund of such county. ne town
ship or city, or for that purpose issue GER
ing interest at rate not to exceed six per
centum per annum payable at the option
not to exceed fifteen years from the date
OF issue, but such certificates of indebted
ness ness or warrants shall not be issued or
sold at less than par; provided further,
however, that nothing in this act contained
shall be construed as compelling the use of
any ballot or voting machine at any cleo
ton of school officers in any city, village,
town or district at which no other public
q dnd fr1r-
Their, that no purchase of any such ma
sn sna BE ha maze until to
majority vote of the qualified electors of
any such county city or township voting
ton called for that purpose, provided fur
1n ftfed 1ha at shcn 81 shall be sub
city, or township only after a petition
signed by 25ae of the qualified electors of
been submitted to the county commissioners,
mayor and council; or mayor and commits
Sec. 2. That section 1920 of the General
read as follows Sec. 1920 No automatic
ballot voting machine shall be pur-
have the capacity to contain the tickets of
at least seven political parties, with the
as can be safely and conveniently used by
at least two hundred voters in any one
the time allowed for holding an election
therein, and which enables each voter to
Il
of one party and in part from the nomi-
nees of another party or parties, or from
independent nominees of persons not nomi-
mated by any political party, and absolute
ly prevents the voter from voting for the
candidates and propositions that such
voter may not desire to vote for; that said
machine shall be so constructed that it will
register and show the public at all times
the number of voters actually casting their
votes at such election: provided, that in
presidential years. the presidential cleo
tors for any political party may be voted
for upon one button.
Sec. s. That section 1922 of the General
Statutes of Kansas for 1909, be amended to
read as follows: Sec. 1922. That all cleo
ton officers hereby charged with the
proper carrying out of the necessary regu-
lations prescribed for the use of any auto
matte ballot or voting machines provided
for in their respective cities, townships.
wards, precincts, and as soon as the
chine shall be locked against further
operation, and the recording mechanism
exposed in the presence of the watchers
and all other persons who may be law
fully within the room or voting place, Civ
ing full view of the dial numbers, showing
votes cast for each candidate, and for or
against the various amendments and prop
ositioHs submitted, and the judges shall
then publicly announce the total vote for
each candidate and for and against the
amendments and propositions. Before Ieav-
and sign statements of returns of such
election as are now required by law as far
as applicable to election conducted
with automatic ballot or voting machines.