Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-02
new ELECTION LAWS
RESTRICTED SYSTEM OF VOT-
ING FOR ELECTORS.
After This Year Elector Need Be En-
rolled But Once Provided He
Votes Each Two Years.

Several measures making important
changes in the election laws of the
state were passed by the last legisla-
ture. One of these provides for per-
manent registration of voters, anoth-
er abolishes the restricted" system
of voting for presidential electors and
delegates to national party conven-
tions, and another provides that can
didates may get their names on the
ballot by paying a fee. The perman-
ent registration law presumably en-
bodies the best ideas taken from a
number of bills that were introduced.
Registration under the new law will
begin January /, 1916. An elector
once registered need not again regis
ter so long as he or she does not move
out of the precinct and votes at a gen.
eral election at least once in every
two years.
Provision is made that in counties
having less than 100000 population
electors may be sworn in on election
day by the use of blank GA" and the
affidavits Of two freeholders. In
Multnomah county the affidavits of
six freeholders will be required as in
the past. In the smaller counties a
vote sworn in becomes a permanent
registration, but in Multnomah county
it does not.
Passage of substitute senate bill
151 eliminated from Oregon elections
the restricted" system of choosing
presidential electors and delegates to
national party conventions. At the
last election each political party sub
ject to the primary laws elected five
presidential electors and 10 delegates
to the national convention.
Under the "restricted system
each voter had the privilege of voting
for but one candidate for presidential
elector and but one candidate for
party delegate. Under the new law
presidential electors are to be elected
from the state at large and each voter
may vote for the full number to be !
sent to the electoral college.
Regarding delegates to the party
conventions, the law provides that
two shall be elected from each con-
gressional district and the remaining
number from the state at large. If
10 are to be elected, six will be chosen
from the three congressional districts
and the other four will be chosen
from the state at large. That is,
each voter will have the right to vote
for two from his congressional dis
trict and for four from the state at
large, six in all. The law provides
for an expression of the choice of the
voters as to candidates for president
and vice president.
Another feature of the law is that
it epeals the provision in the old
law that allowed the state to pay the
actual expenses of delegates chosen
to attend national conventions. Here
after the delegates will bear their own
expenses. Another law passed by the
last legislature provides that candi
dates may get their names on the bal
lot by paying a fee instead Of circu-
lating petitions. The fees range all
the way from 81 for precinct commit
teemen up to 800 for state offices.
Other bills affecting elections were
passed making changes of minor i'm
portance. One bill confirms in the
governor the powers, in the event
there should be vacancy in the Of
flee of United States senator, to fill
the vacancy by appointment. Another
provides for removing from the regis
tration books the names of all per-
sons who are not citizens of the Uni
ted States. Prior to the last general
election, when a constitutional amend
ment was passed providing that only
full fedged citizens may be entitled
to vote, foreigners who had taken out
their first citizenship papers were al
lowed the right of franchise. Many
of their names are on the registration
books. and this bill authorizes the
county clerks to remove those names
and notify the persons of the action
taken.