The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-02-06
COMBINE PRIMARY AND
CONVENTION SYSTEMS
MAIN FEATURES OF PROPOSED
ELECTION PRIMARY
LAW.

A new primary election law is now
before the legislature which may be
described as fusion of the direct pri-
mary and convention systems, the
first being retained in the nomination
of county candidates and the latter in
selecting candidates for state posi-
tons The bill was introduced by
Representatives Nelson, of Kootenai
county, and Nash, of Franklin, and as
the first named is chairman of the re-
publican caucus and the last is secre-
tary. it is assumed that the bill will
have the support of the majority. In
fact it is reported that both republic
cans and democrats are united in sup
port of the measure. Some of the
more important provisions Of the bill
follow:
Parties Defined.
Within the meaning of the act a
party is a political organization which,
at the last election, cast for one of it's
candidates total of 10 per cent of the
entire vote cast for all the candidates
for that particular office. The desig-
nation party" is also made to apply
to an affiliation Of voters equalling in
strength per cent of the total num-
Der of votes cast at the preceding
general election.
County Primaries.
The primary will be the means used
to nominate district judges represen-
tatives in the legislature, all county
officers, committeeman from each
precinct, and delegates from each pre-
cinct to the county convention. In
every precinct the number of dele
gates to be chosen will be determined
by dividing the total of votes cast for
all candidates by the number Of cam
didates and accepting the result as
the precinct vote. One delegate will
be allowed for each 80 votes on the
basis of the average obtained. For
instance. If the total number of votes
polled in a certain precinct were 1920
and the numbered IL, the average to
be used as the precinct vote would be
21O, and application of the unit pro-
posed, 80. would give the precinct in
question delegates to the county
convention.
State and County Committees.
Central committees for both state
and, county are provided by the bill
The state committee comprises sin
gle representative from each county in
the state, and the county body has
precinct representatives as it's mem
bers. Each organization has the pow
Ell to fill vacancies coming within its
Jurisdiction Determination of the
hour and place for the holding Of the
state and county conventions also
falls to the central committees.
County Conventions.
Selection of the county's member of
the state central committee and dele
gates to the state convention is the
important duty of the county conven-
ton. The formulating of the county
platform Is made a matter Of option.
State Conventions.
The average vote principle Is again
made use of in determining the num-
Der of delegates each county may send
to the state convention. Totals of the
entire party vote cast for all candi-
dates having been compiled, and a di-
vision made to reach mean, the unit
employed is 400. In Ada county last
November. for example, the average
vote was about 5000. Application OF
the proposed rule would make Ada's
convention delegation one of 13 mem