The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-23
MAY LOSE VOTE
OF CALIFORNIA
Secretary of State Jordan
Finds Errors in Two of
the Counties
THREAT TO HOLD
UP CERTIFICATES
ton Would Arise, Possibly Affecting
Even the Reelection of President
Wilson

SACRAMENTO, Cal, Nov. 23.-Sec-
rotary of State Frank c. Jordan de
clared yesterday that unless certain
mistakes and omissions discovered in
returns of the elections from Yuba and
Orange counties are corrected he will
withhold the certificates of election 10
presidential electors from California.
Should this be done there undoubted-
lv will be delay, if not serious situa-
ton, possibly affecting even the re-
election of President Wilson, since his
electoral majority depends on the votes
Of the - presidential electors from
California.
Following is the statement issued by
Jordan concerning the situation.
Under the provisions of section
1913 of the political code. it is the
duty Of the secretary of state to com
pare and estimate the votes given for
electors. Such comparison and estimate
Is to be made as soon as returns are
received from all the counties in the
state.
In Marysville, precinct ), - Demo
cratic electors are credited with 56
votes each. but the votes received by
Loren A. Handley, Democratic elector.
have not been credited because the
election clerks failed to include the
vote in their returns TO the supervisors.
the supervisors could not ascertain
such vote, and therefore the county
clerk was unable to include it in the
returns to this office. The returns from
| this county are incomplete
"In the county. of Orange a more
glaring ease of disfranchisement is pre-
/ scented. All the votes of Orangethorpc
| precinct have been denied an express
! sion of their wishes as indicated by
! their votes. Because the tally lists are
! III the sealed envelopes containing the
! ballot the board of supervisors could
not ascertain the vote in that precinct
! and the returns certified to this office
! are not complete because OF such omis
sion.
- If these mistakes are not corrected:
| if these partial returns are to be ac
cepted; if the will of the voters OF
| these precincts is to he regarded. ever
the vote of one elector. why cannot
other mistakes be permitted to occu
III other counties and precincts ant
thus the Will of the voters be thwart
ed and confusion result?
1t is the duty of the Democratic
and Republican state central commit
tees to take immediate steps to hav,
these mistakes corrected, even if tn,
aid of the courts must be invoked, 9th
erwisc the secretary of state may deem
it his duty to withhold certificates q
election to presidential electors in or
der that evil precedent may not be es
t&blished. -
In order to straighten the legal tan
, gle that has arisen over the returns
from fuba and Orange counties, thu
superior courts of those counties mus
order the ballot boxes reopened and tn,
count rendered complete, in the opin
ion of James Cremin, state statistician
who has charge of the official election
canvass.
At the office of Attorney Genera
Webb the unofficial opinion was voice,
that the state could not certify to tn
returns for the state unless the vot
Of every precinct was found correct il
the official canvass.