The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-10-22
Bx c. o. ANDREWS.

The causes which led to the enact
ment of the second-choice feature of
the Florida primary law, as is well
known, was to save the time, trouble
and expense of second primary and
also to remove the opportunity for
INSCRIPTIONS politicians to use cor
rupt money between the old first and
second primaries.
After trial of this feature in two
primary elections (1914 and 1916 it
now seems to be the general opinion
that while it has been a cure for the
ills stated above and undoubtedly
good in theory, yet it is very defec-
tive in its practical operation, and
among others, for the following spe-
cial reasons:
First. Where there are more than
three candidates for the same office
(which is often the case) the voter
who votes both his first and second
choice for low men loses his chance
entirely to choose as between the two
high men.
Second. BY special effort candi-
date for any particular office may
procure his supporters to vote only
first choice and by so doing he may
thus receive the nomination by as low
as one-third of the votes cast for
that office.
Third. The tallying is so tedious
and cumbersome, especially for those
inspectors and clerks who are not ac-
customed to such work, that in 9
great number of precincts they were
compelled, by reason of exhaustion
ITO leave the important work of call.
ing and tallying to bystanders, who
are not under oath and, therefore
could not, under the law, be held off
cially responsible.
Fourth. The chief and most vita
Vdefect, however, is that there was :
failure in a number of precincts il
each county to properly tally all th'
second choice votes.
There appears to be no remedy fol
the first defect mentioned.
The only way to remedy the secons
defect is to make it mandatory tina
the voter cast both a first and sec
ond choice vote, as is done in severa
other states.
There seems to be no remedy 70
the third defect unless the law b
changed requiring county commits
sioners to divide counties so as t
have no more than 200 voters in an
precinct, which seems impractical.
The fourth defect appears to b
without remedy, as it is not likel
that the next set of inspectors an
clerks will be better informed o
make fewer mistakes than those sery
ing at the recent election.
The last two reasons pointed on
are serious ones, and especially tn
fourth, which is the direct cause Q
the present contest over the nomins
tions for govesnor.
The tally sheet blank used in OF
recent state primary, which also whe
certified and signed by the inspe
tors and clerks becomes the offici
precinct returns, is no doubt the sin
plest plan that can be devised und'
this law for tallying first and secor
choice votes; in fact, it embodies Il
best features of the plans used
other states.
The first choice vote of the vot
is required by this tally sheet to
marked in the blank column or squa
to the left of the name of the pers
for whom it was cast, and the secol
choice of the same voter is requir
to be tailed on the same horizont
line to the right in the column
square under the written name of t
candidate for whom such seco
choice was cast.
In few precincts in nearly eve
county many second choice votes we
enormously tailed by being mark