Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-09
FAVOR METHOD TO
HURRY VOTE COUNT

|
that one of the greatest obstacles to
the prompt announcement of election
results, such as handicapped the news
papers in the last presidential election,
may be removed before another presi-
dental year, are reflected in the action
of the West Virginia legislature, fol.
lowing the example set by Kansas, in
the creation of what is called "a double
election board"
The measure is hailed by West Vir-
ginia newspapers as one that will be
appreciated by the general public to a
greater extent than is realized by
those not familiar with the present on
cumbrances which surround ballot
counting. They declare that the sue
cess of the experiment in Kansas last
fall should attract attention in other
states as possible relief from such
uncertainty as the whole country la
bored under for several days after the
! last election.
| Kansas, considering it's difference
in time as compared with the eastern
states, was the first of all states to be-
gin to return figures on its election
last November Z. This was surprise
generally to other states until 1t was
discovered that the secret Of Kansas
promptness was 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
simultaneously with the casting Of
them, with the result that the vote is
| I'M, tot ~ c10oiY1 O
! of the polls.
! The Kansas law provides that at all
general elections the national and
state tickets shall be printed upon one
ballot and the district, county and and
township tickets shall be printed upon
another ballot, and that at each voting
precinct five separate ballot boxes
shall be provided. two boxes in 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 board--to receive ballots
and guard their proper placement in
the boxes-and the other to be 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. and duplicate boxes plac-
ed in their stead. while the counting
board retires under proper safeguards
empties the first set of boxes and
counts the ballots. After another in
terval the boxes are exchanged again
and the counting proceeded with in
this manner Of simple relay through
out 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 still
greater time the compilation Of a state
or national vote.
The act Of the West Virginia legis.
lature in following the Kansas ex
ample is called the Wier bill. after
James w. Wier. newspaper man who
is member of the West Virginia leg
islature 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 cleo.
ton 1t was a week before it was known
positively how the state had gone and
1t was six weeks before the exact fig
ures were compiled and published.
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
IL, hi in, tho
argument of the author Of the bill
it is shown 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 years been particularly
slow in completing their returns and
1t is such conditions that have handi-
capped the Associated Press, in an
nouncing the definite results Of presi-
Dental elections on the night OF cleo
ton day. The seriousness Of such de-
lays as were encountered last Novem-
ber when various newspapers an
nounced the result before 1t was
known. has impressed itself upon Gov
ernor Cox of Ohio. In an address be-
fore the members of the Associated
Ohio Dailies at Columbus recently the
governor suggested an adoption OF
law similar to that OF Kansas so that
the general result might be known
early in the evening of election day in.
stead of, as he said, about Christmas
time"
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