Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-03-08
DOUBLE ELECTION
BOARD FAVORED
New Method Of Counting Ballots Used
in Kansas NAY Become Nation
wide Practice.

New Indications that one of
the greatest obstacles TO the prompt
announcement Of election results such
as handicapped the newspapers 81 the
last presidential election. may be re-
moved before another presidential
year. are reflected in the action of the
West Virginia legislature. following
the example set by Kansas. IN The ere
alton OF what is called q double cleo
tlon board
The measure is hailed by West Viz
glula newspapers as one that will be
appreciated hy the general public to q
create. extent than lis realized by
those not familiar with the present en-
cumbranCe which surround ballot
counting. They declare that the sue
cess of the experiment in Kansas last
fall should attract attention ia other
states as possible relief from such
uncertainty as the whole country la
bored under for several DAYS after the
last election
Kansas. considering its difference in
time as compared with the eastern
states, was the first of ali states 10 be-
sin 10 return figures on its election last
November This was surprise gen
orally 20 other states until it was dis
covered that the secret Of Kansas
the double election board
This system does not i'm any sense
rey0iut5ouize present methods OF voL-
ing. but simply makes it possible that
the ballots may be counted almost sim
ultaneousIE with the casting Of them
with the result that the vote is known
Immediately upon the closing of The
polls.
The Kansas law provides that ali
general elections the national and
state tickets shall be printed upon one
ballot and the district. county ana
township tickets shall be printed upon
another ballot and that al each voting
precinct five separate ballot boxes
shall be provided. two boxes Ia dupli-
cate for the national and state ballots.
and that there shall be two boards Of
election officers one TO be known as
the receiving baari-to receive ballots
and guard their proper placement in
the 60Egs-aud the other to be q count
ing board
a few hours after the opening Of the
polls the national and state ballot
boxes are removed from their desig-
mated places aud duplicate boxes
placed ia their stead. while the count
ing board retires under proper safe
guards. emptes the first set Of boxes
ana counts the ballots. After another
interval the boxes are exchanged
again. and the counting proceeded with
in this manner of simple relay
throughout the day
The old method. which still obtains
in all the states except Kansas and
West Virginia requires the casting of
the ballot before any counting is done,
and this involves in some places from
six TO IS hours. delaying still greater
time the compilation of 8 state or ma
toual vote.
The act Of the West Virginia Iegfs-
latuTe In following the Kansas exam
pie lis called che Wier bill. after James
". Wier. a newspaper man who is q
member Of the West Virginia legjsla-
ture and who deemed that some of the
clerical and mechanical haudicaps of
election reporting belonged TO the days
when folks depended upon the stage
coach mali for their news, instead Of
tue present era Of the telephone and
wireless telegraph. In West Virginia
for example. at the last election it was
q week before 1t was known positively
how the state had gone. and it was six
weeks before the exact figures were
compiled and published
Opposition that was met with ia
~ est Virginia in suggesting adoption
or the Kansas m6ElU1 was 10 the erect
that the double election board involved
additional expense, but in the argu-
ment Of The author Of the bill. IT is as
messy ensiva TO work Two sets of men
one dag as it IS ta work one set Of men
for Two days.
Ohio PenusE wanna. New Jersey and
several OF the middle and western
states have for many years been par
ftcuIa~lv slow i'm completing their re-
turns. and Il is such conditions that
have Handicapped The Associated
Press in announcing the definite re-
suits of presidential elections on the
night Of election day. The serious
ness Of such delays as were eucoun-
tered last November, when various
newspapers announced the resHtE be
fore it was known, has impressed itself
upon Governor Cox eff Ohio Ia aB ad-
dress before the members OF the Assoc
ciated Ohio UailIes al Columbus re
Gently the governor suggested an adop-
ton of a. law similar 10 that of Kansas
so that the general result might be
known early in the evening Of election
day. instead of. as he said. about
Christmas time"