South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-31

lf@@'EN~
Iature and the several new features
introduced I'm comparison with preyi-
Duh primary laws. The Ncws-Times
has secured the services of j. Elmer
Peak. attorney. to review the act and
explain these somewhat novel fea-
lures that they may be more gener-
ally understood. This is the first of
MIR. Peaks articles.
M. 4.
The introduction of the first and
second choice provision in the pri-
mary law Of Indiana apparently has
caused some confusion in the minds
Of local voters as to what was meant
by the legislature Of 1915 in their
primary enactment. Many candi-
dates for office share this uncertainty
as 20 what the second choice propo-
sition means. This feature Of the
law is really not greatly complicated
or hard 10 understand.
The expression frequently heard
this spring. since the candidates have
been announcing themselves and in
terest i'm politics reviving. that''the
nomination would be largely "A mat
ter Of chance, and under the new or
1915 primary law it would be a mat
ter of guess-work or luck as to whom
would receive the nominations is
mere nonsense.
% fIfC
and of the state as soon as they have
turned their serious attention upon
the provisions Of this primary law,
VIII readily understand it, and. what
is more. will intelligentiy and con-
scientiously exercise their rights of
selection at the polls under the pro-
visions of the primary law.
The law is easy TO understand.
Every voter may vote twice for each
office. That is. from among the can
didates for each office he may des-
ignate his first choice for said office,
and also his second choice. His sec
ond choice vote. however. only be-
comes effective after the man for
whom he cast his choice vote is
eliminated from the contest under
the method of counting the ballots.
The method of counting ballots
can best De explained by a concrete
example For instance. let A, 3 and
g be three candidates for an office
There are so voters who cast bal
lots for this office Twenty of these
voters have selected A as their first
choice Twenty have named b as
their first choice. and 10 of the
voters have selected c as their first
choice Consequently no candidate
has received a majority Of all the
votes cast for this office, which. in
this case. would be &c votes.
Under the system of canvassing
the ballots under the provisions of
the primary law, G. who had re-
ceived the lowest number of first
choice votes. would be eliminated
from the contest. The canvasseTs of
the ballots would then turn TO the
second choice votes cast by the 10
men who had selected c as the first
choice for the Office. They may find
that six of the 10 who had selected
G as their first choice had named A
and that the remaining four had des-
ignated as their first choice for
the office The six second choice
votes would then be added to AS
first choice votes, giving him a total
Of &c votes The four second choice
votes cast for & would he added to
his first choice votes. giving him a
total of "a votes. Consequently. 4
having "a rajor'' of all votes cast.
wou!d ~ decl- 4 the nominee.
"Is coy ny lie seen that this
system ii a complicated one. 1t
makes eat fundamental change
from primary law in this.
that tate must receive a ma
joritv III the votes cast for the
office .,h he is seeking instead of
merely plurality and in order TO
make his possible it was necessary
TO introduce the second choice fea-
ture in the balloting.
The statewide primary law as
adopted in this state by the legisla
ture of 1915 does not provide that
all candidates for state offices shall
be nominated at a primary election
me only WOulu-ne state OInCeFS 10
appear in the primary are the candi-
dates for United States senator and
governor All other state officers are
nominated at a convention. which is
the same as the party convention
formerly held except in one partic-
ular
This particular change is that the
delegates TO the state convention, in
stead Of being selected at caucuses
held in the various wards and town
ships as formerly. are now elected at
the same time that the candidates
for county and other local offices are
nominated. This means that all per
sons desiring 10 attend the state con-
vention Of the parties as delegates
must have their name on the pri-
mary ballot at the primary election
and secure their appointment as
delegates at til hands OF the voters
direct.
The law provides that nomination
for delegates 70 such state conven-
tions shall be made by petition 10 be
filed not less than twenty 600 days
before the March primary. with the
clerk Of the circuit court.