The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-13
HARE VOTING PLAN
HAS ITS FIRST TRIAL
A htabula, o., Residents 1ndi-
cate First, Second and
Third Preferences.
SYSTEM WORKS WELL

A%surABrLA, Ohio. Nov. li.-After n
| careful analysis OF the Hare system OF
| proportional representation In municipal
elections. which was used in the recent
| election in this city, students of election
methods are of the opinion that the plan
is not 20 complicated as It appeared
before being put Into operation. The
particular advantage claimed is that 1t
eliminates any possible chance for the
voter 10 cast a ballot that does not
| count. II properly marked.
! Numerals are substituted for the y
In marking. the voter being given the OPP
%portunity to cast a ballot for as many OF
the candidates as he plcascs. indicating
his several choices by the figures /. 2, ..
&c. in order. IL the man whom he I'M
dicates as first choice Is not elected, then
his second choice is effective, and so
Oh.
1t was provided by the city chartcr
adopted a year ago that there should
be seven councilmen. The object OF the
voting system is to let the voters OF tn"
entire city get together IN seven con-
stituencics corresponding to the seven
wards under the former ward plan.
The difference between the new and the
Old method liz that the new constituency
represents one-seNenth of all the voters
who are agreed ia wanting a certain
man, whereas the ward constituency
comprised one-scNcnth of t., voters VINO
resided in the same ncighborhood. but
were not all agreed on one candidate.
Under the proportional system all the
principal interests IN the city have rep
rcsentation in tho Council according 10
their strength at the polls. while under
the at large method the one largest
group of voters can elect the entire
Council. leaving all the others without
Representations In the body that handles
their taxes.
The voting was done at the usual
precinct places ard IN" only duty of the
Judges In the several precincts, after the
polls we're closed. was to separate the fret
choice valid ballots from the others and
then turn their reports and ballots over
to the County Board of Deputy super
,isors of Election. who completed anu
tabulatsd the count. Tho basis of clrc.
ton OF each candidate is "A quota ot-
tanned by dividing the whole number
of valid ballots by one more than the
number Of places to be filled. The total
number of votes cast was 2,912. which.
being divided by \ Zone more than the
seven 'councilmen to be elected, gave
a quota of 3s2 us the number necessary
TO elect.
ON the first count one candidate re.
ceived 3e2 first choice votes. twenty
more than his quota. These twenty sur.
plus ballots were chosen from the vari'
a,,g ,A,.aAt,,afa Ia "a ,,,,thA.l lntay,F,aJ
on through the proportional plan and
distributed proportionately among tn,
other preferences. These are called
transferable ballots. ON each succeed
Ing count the candidate receiving tn,
smallest lumber of votes is dropped ou'
OF the reckoning. There were fourteen
candidates ON the ballot. On the first
count one was elected, leaving thirteen
FOR the second Not another can
didate received an electiug quota unit
the seventh count, and a. one name wa
dropped at each count and two name
were off ON account Of election. SN
candidates remained for the eight
count. bn The eighth ouu one wa,
elected and the low man WAS eliminated
leaving four, just enough to cUInplct,
the seven members for the council. ANT
these were declared elected,
&. q. Huae secretary of the American
Proportional Representations League
was one of the interested witnesses %
the voting and counting. and Miss Alice
Henry of Chicago, author and editor
was present and will write a magazin,
article on the new system. Mayo t'cSlc'
and Prof. a. II. Hatton of Western IL"
serve University, Cleveland, also wit
Incssed the count.
Of the seven councllm.n chosen a
/, the election one H. an Italian. one I
/, Sw.le and tivc are of native parentage
I Two are Roman Catholic and TIA,
: others of Protestant persuasion. polit
ically live are Republicans. one is
| Democrat and one "A Socialist.
Thus the idea of giving representa-
tlon to any faction or CONSTITUENCY
which wuul muster one-Sev"uth Of III,
= electorate was realized. Heretofore IN,
! vote Of the factions Of similar political
| religious or other belief was split h,
I Mnrl bnundHrlnS.