Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-08-20
A New Style Of Ballot.

When it comes to voting at the state
election which is in the near future, the
voter will have . little different PROPOSE
ton before him in the ballot from what
there has heretofore been. If he desires
to vote straight party ticket be can do
1t by q single cross at the head of the
party column as before, but II he votes
in any other way bis procedure will be
changed.
For some time We have been using one
form of ballot for the state election and
a different form for the primaries
There was much agitation in favor of
making the regular election ballot in the
same form as the primary ballot. So the
last legislature tackled the job, and
evolved splan of voting which is various
~ regarded. Some think It combines
the good features of The two forms of
ballot, some think 1t combines their bad
features. In any event. 1t is the law.
Under the new plan and style of vot-
ing, the voter may vote straight party
ticket as before, by putting one CROSS In
the square at the top of the party COL
umn, and il there are any of the csndi-
dates in that column for whom he does
not wish to vote, he may "scratch" their
names with his pencil. In addition to
the square at the top OF the party COL
umn, there will be Q smaller square at
the right of each name. If voter
wishes to split bis ticket, instead of
placing bis cross In the square at the top
of the column, he will make crosses In
the squares at the right of the names
for whom he wishes to. vote, wherever
they are on the ballot. 10 this way he
can scatter bis voting through ell the
party columns on the ballot II be wishes.
One provision of the law that should
be noted is that "Stickers shall not be
counted unless used to flll vacancy or
correct an error in the printed ballot. |"
This does away with the use of stickers,
and requires the voter to split his ticket
solely with his pencil. It would seem
even to prevent using sticker for q
name which is not on the printed ballot,
and require Q man to write the name
With pencil in any event IL he desires
to be independent and 60 outside the
regular ticket Thus to some extent 1t
discourages independence in voting.
But cases where voter desires to do
that are rare.
1t would seem desirable to have some
uniformity In our election laws, in place
of the present tumble. At the primary
We have one form of ballot and at the
regular election another; at the primary
the ballots are kept in the custody of the
town clerk; at the regular election they
are shipped to the secretary of state at
Augusta, and kept in his custody. There
is 80 much confusion regarding the mat
ter of the custody of the ballots that at
the recent primary election tho ballots
from lot of the towns were shipped to
Augusta, and had to be returned.
For the first time since an official
ballot was used in state election in
Maine, there will be this year on the
ballot only two columns, Republican and
Democrat, except in few cases, as for
instance Aroostook County, where there
is an independent candidate for sheriff,
and Augusta, where . Socialist candi.
date for representative has been nomi-
mated. The time for filing nominations
expired on the 10th, and no nomination
papers for state officers we're filed, and
r.. A. of9