Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-02
VOTE OF SOLDIERS
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"In the first place the Delaware regi-
ment is overseas and there is probably
no camp where there are hvc or more
registered voters In a company oi
regiment and 80 not enough To organize
there an election board.
'In the second place, copies ot the lists
of all voters registered IN Delaware nave
not and cannot be obtained and sent to the
camps This same difficulty WAS present
ed two wears ago when the regiment WAS
on the border and it was met by securing
from each company through the colonel
The names of ali duly registered men, and
lists of them and their voting precinct
went with their votes To the Board oi
Canvass In this way only was IT possihie
for them TO vote at that time and no
objection was then made to canvassIng
and counting their votes on return day.
SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE JoB NOW.
This wear it seems to be impossible
to locate the men scattered about the
country in very small groups arnid
thousands Of other soldiers.
'.Fo meet these two main difficulties,
which make it impossible tor several
hundred voters to vote legally unless
they return To Delaware on election day,
which surely will not be allowed by the
military authorities, II was agreed by a'i
the Judges, being the officials who constr
tutc the three boards of canvass, that IN
the absence of objection by candidate
for any office duly made to the proper
board. they would count the votes oi
soldiers whether registered mt home or ny
the auxiliary registrars, If the following
| nlan suggested by Governor Townsend,
was adopted in place of that provided by
G,,Ic itttn n
campmcnt for company of n regiment, and
lot the election board be chosen by those
IN the whole camp, instead of each com
pany Of each regiment, and let all IN that
camp vote Mt the one place therein
EACH MUST MAKE AFFIDAVIT
Furthermore, III the absence ot the
full hist of all voters IN the state, let each
soldier make an affidavit before one OF the
camp election officers of his having regis
tered IN the State. and state facts To
identify him as tho person who had SO
registered.
Ills ballot is to be put in pIaln,
unmarked envelope and sealed by the
voter. who is To put that envelope with
his affidavit. IN second envelope,
which is also sealed. and which Is mdorscd
with his name and voting precinct IN
Delaware When these envelopes como
to the boards of Canvass they can ind
whether the soldier has duly registered
ls examining the list III the hallot-boN
ii the precinct ln this way the secrecy
nf tho ballot Is secured
Il understand that the governor having
asccrtained the views oi the members OF
the boards OF canvass has sent 70 several
camps messengers. one Of each political
marty. with instructions and forms tor
carving out this plan
Ii formal objection IN writing hc duly
made to the boards of canvass by any
candidate for office the votes Will not he
canvaSscd or counted rs TO the candidates
fnr such office but canvaSSed and counted
IL ~ all other offices
II feel sure that tho judges are fully
justified bv the extraordinary situation
now cNstIng IN approving Of and using
cxtra-Icga machinery 70 supply the I'M
perfect machinery of the statute IN
order that several hundred duly registered
voters af the State may vote, and who
from no fault Of their own, but because
thew are IN arms. serving their country,
cannot vote, though expressly gwen a
r-Cht IA do 81