The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-11
How andIdats. Are Chosen

HOW CanoloaIee Arc SnpS4n
Candidates for the governorship, -
well as for acknowledgements and
other ofices in Vermont. have bean
backward about coming forward this
year. Report said some OF them were
waiting to see whether the State was
to have direct primaries. 1t was held
that some could be nominated in con-
vention who could not appeal success.
fully to the people as whole and
vice versa. Be this as 1t may, 1t will
be both helpful and interesting to note
the way In which candidates must pro-
coed under the new law.
Hitherto. Vermont In every presiden-
tial year has held at least Ave sets OF
caucuses, to nominate candidates for
town and city ofices. to elect dele-
gates to conventions for the selection
in turn Of delegates to the national
conventions, to select delegates to the
State conventions for the nomination
Of State ticket and to congressional
conventions for the nomination OF can
didates for Congress, for the selection
of delegates to the county convention
to name county ticket and for the
selection of candidates for town and
city representatives.
Under the direct primary system the
number OF caucuses will be materially
reduced. Town and city Officers will
already nominated direct.
The direct primary law provides
that on the second Tuesday of SeDtem
Der. which this year falls on Septem-
Der IL. and biennially thereafter. pri-
mary shall be held for the nomination
of all candidates to be voted for at
the November election. except presi-
Dental electors and justices OF the
peace, otherwise provided for.
In other words In this single Sep
TENDER caucus or primary each voter
Individually by his direct vote will
help select his party's candidates for
governor and other State officers, for
United States senator. when one Is to
be nominated. for congressman, for all
county ofices and members OF both
the State Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives.
The first step Of candidate for gov
ernor, for example, will be to secure
the signature Of 500 freemen, who are
members Of his party, to his petition
Of nomination and this must be filed
with the secretary Of state at least
twenty-one days before the date of
the primary to ensure the printing of
his name on the primary ballot. This
number OF signatures Is also required
Of candidate for nomination OF Unit
ed States senator and every other can
didate to be voted for throughout the
State, whereas q candidate for Con-
gress must secure $50 Candidates for
county offices must secure signatures
equal to at least two~per cent. of the
total vote cast for all the candidates
for that particular once at the proceed
ing election, petitions to be filed with
the county clerk, and candidates for
representative to the General Assemb-
ly, three per cent, petitions to be fled
with the town clerk Ballots are to be
furnished by these officials respective
~,
With the direct primary the oandi-
dates for the party nomination for
State and other Offices will be voted
for on ballots similar TO present bal
lots in elections with each party
column headed by the name of the
party in plain type. County oficers
and representatives are voted for d.
rectly the same as on the State
ticket. Sample ballots are to be
posted so that voters can be fully IN
formed, and all the safeguards thrown
about elections apply to the primaries.
1t follows as matter of course that
each voter will vote in the primary ~
In the present CAUCUS, but he votes
directly instead OF voting for delegates
to select his candidates for him. For
example. the voter makes his mark
opposite the name OF the man he
wants for governor and also for lieu
tenant-governor. and State treasurer
and secretary OF state, and attorney
general and so on throughout the en-
tire list OF State oficers. The man
who secures the most voters for any
of these offices is the candidate OF his
party for that ONCE, without any furth-
er action OF voters or their representa-
tives, except the certincation OF the re-
suit by the secretary Of state.
The direct primary also provides for
. State convention to follow the nomi-
nations, but it is entirely different
from our present State convention.
and its platform will be binding on
the Legislature as well as all others
participating, great improvement ov-