Weekly journal-miner., 1918-06-26
b|G CONFLICT IN ABSENT VOTERS
 ENACTMENT
CANDIDATES REQUIRED TO FILE PETITIONS 40 DAYS AHEAD OF PRI- MARY WHILE OLD LAW SAYS 20 DAYS.
(From Tuesdays Gaily.)

The law recently enacted by the special session of the legislature which was designed to give the vote to the absent soldiers and sailors, IS a concrete example of the manner in which lawmakers can get hopelessly snarled in their attempts to eXperi- ment with new and untried bits of legislation. A full and complete text of the measure was received yester- day by R. T. Belcher, clerk of the board of supervisors, and as a speci- men of legislation which conflicts with measures enacted in years gone by, the new law is pippin.
 The provisions of the enactment make it necessary for the clerk of the supervisors to mail to each voter who is in the> army and away from his home precinct, one of the official primary ballots, and the law states in no unmistakable language that the ballot must go forward not later than 40 days before the date of the primary. According to the old pri- mary law, each candidate had until within 20 days of the primary in which to file his nominating petition, and the officials are wondering whether the enactment of the new law will neccssitate the various can didates filing their petitions in time to get them on the copies of the of | fcial ballot which is sent to the sol diers. It must also be taken into consideration that the printing ot the large number of ballots will re- quire perhaps ten days time, oonse- quently, it would appear to be neces- sary for the candidate to make up his mind to run at least 50 days prior to the date of the primaries. Is the primaries of 1918 are to be | held on Tuesday. Sept 10th, 1t will be necessary for the politicians to come out of the brush at some date before July 2lst to get their name on | she official list
 [ MT. Belcher Is of the opinion that in many cases candidates would not hear of the change in the law. and
 would wait until within the custo-
 mary 20 days of the primaries to 1 ile their petitions, and upon being
 told that they were too late, they would in all probability begin court
 action to compel the supervisors to place their names on the ballot, choosing to throw tine matter in to courts rather than have their can i didacy nipped in the bud in this
 manner. Unfortunately the lawmak-
 CTS neglected to repeal the old 2O-day part of the election law, and all sorts { of complications are expected to follow. It seems that the house, in moment of enlightenment, did work out and pass a measure allowing the candidates a period of 45 days prior ] to the primaries in which to file, but i the senate prompaly killed the meas urc
 The new law sets forth the fact ! that the supervisors are to cOuStl- ute an election board 10 canvass the ballots which come back from
 the army camps and cantonments. The marked ballots for both the primary and the election proper must be back in the hands of the supervisors by six o'clock on the night of the primary and the election or they will not be counted. The county recorder is directed to secure the names and addresses of all men in the army and navy who arc en- titled to vote and the supervisors will mail the ballots direct 10 the
 fighters.
 Mr. Bclchcr has asked Attorney General Wiley Jones for an opinion as to what i, what in regard to the matter of petition filing, and is await
 ing the officials reply with much iu- ;CrCst.