Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-27
DOUBLE BOARD.
FOR ELECTION
IS PLANNED
Obstacles in Prompt Announce
ment of Election Results
to be Removed.

New York, Feb. 27.-Indications
that one of the greatest obstacles to
the prompt announcement Of election
results, such as handicapped the news
papers in the last presidential cleo
ton, may he removed before another
presidential year, are reflected in the
action Of the West Virginia legisla-
ture, following the example set by
Kansas. in the creation of what is
called "a double election board"
The measure is hailed by West Vir-
Einie newspapers as one that will be
appreciated by the general public to
greater extent than is realized by
those not familiar with the present
encumbrances which surround ballot
cess Of the experiment in Kansas last
fall should attract attention in other
states as a possible relief from such
uncertainty as the whole country Ia
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 all states to
begin to return figures on its election
generally to other states until it was
discovered that the secret Of Kansas
promptness was a system known as
the double election board.
This system does not in any sense
revolutionize present methods OF vot-
ing, but simply makes it possible that
the ballots may be counted almost
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 at all
general elections the national and
state tickets shall be printed upon one
and the district, county and township
tickets shall be printed upon another
ballot, and that at each voting pre-
cinct five separate ballot boxes shall
be provided, two boxes in duplicate
for the national and state ballots, and
that there shall be two boards of cleo
ton officers, one to be known as the
receiving board-to receive ballots
and guard their proper placement in
the boXes-and the other to be a
counting board.
A few hours after the opening Of
the polls the national and state ballot
boxes are removed from their desig
mated places. and duplicate boxes
placed in their stead. while the coun-
ing board retires under proper safe
guards, empties the first set of boxes
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 involved in some places from
six to forty-eight hours, delaying a
still greater time the compilation of a
state or national vote.
The act of tho UoSt Uiroipi, 1ao{o
lature in following the Kansas exam
pie is called the Wier bill, after Jas.
w. Wier, newspaperman who is a
member OF the West Virginia legisla-
ture and who deemed that some Of
the clerical and mechanical handicaps
Of election reporting belonged to the
days when folks depended upon the
stage coach mail for their news, in
stead of the present era Of the tele-
phone and wireless telegraph. In West
Virginia. for example, at the last
election 1t was a week before it was
known positively how the state had
gone, and 1t was six weeks before the
exact figures were compiled and pub
lished.
What little opposition was met with
in West Virginia in suggesting adop-
ton of the Kansas method was to the
effect that the double election board
eANNiS pSHSo, UuI III In0
argument Of the author of the bill,
it Is as inexpensive to work two sets
Of men one day as it is to work one
set of men for two days.
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
several of the middle and western
states have for many years been par
tlcularly slow in completing their re-
turns, and it 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 seriousness
OF such delays as were encountered
last November, when various newspa-
pers announced the result before #
was known. has impressed itself upon
Governor Cox of Ohio. In an address
before the members of the Associated
ONO Dailies at Columbus recently the
governor suggested an adoption of a
law similar to that Of Kansas so that
the general result might be known
early in the evening Of election day,
instead of, as he said, about Christ.
mas time"