The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-08-20
ELECTION METHODS
OF STATE EXPAND
FOR WOMEN VOTERS

Acknowledgement of nearly 100000
women voters in Indiana will not clog
the election machinery of the state.
Expecting ratification of the suffrage
amendment, the state board Of election
commissioners and the Republican and
Democratic state organizations have
been making extensive preparations
for the new voters. ...
Already 1900 900 ballots, almost dou-
BILE the number usually provided, are
being printed by order of the state
commissioners. Women will use the
same ballots as men and an ample
supply will be available in every pre-
cinct Of the state. The commissioners
are preparing to issue instructions to
the county election boards which will
facilitate the handling of doubled
electorate.
Party organizations, confident that
the women of the state would have full
suffrage before election day, have been
building up the women's organizations
for months. With the necessary chair
men and officials these organizations
extend from state headquarters in In
oianapolis down to every precinct in
the state.
Total Voters 100000.
The number OF women voters in the
state Is placed between 100000 and
100000 The enumeration of men
voters made in 1919, as provided in
the state constitution, showed total
of S05391 men of voting age in the
state. 1t is believed, therefore, that
the total number of voters now in
Indiala approximates 100000. OF the
total humber 20,765 are colored.
OF he total number of voters in In
diana at the time of the last election,
724,14 registered and were qualified
to pte. The total number of votes
CASTOR secretary Of state in the cleo
ton was only 572,6O7. It is believed,
however, that large percentage of the
women voters will register and vote
this year on account of the organiza-
tins which have been perfected by
bth the leading parties.
In counties where voting machines
re used it is possible that men will
-pte on machines and women will use
Australian ballots, according to Dirrel-
le Clancy, secretary Of the state board
Of election commissioners.
I Counties in which machines are
ised are: Allen, Bartholomew, Boone,
Clinton, Delaware, Fountain, Fulton,
Henry, Johnson, Marion, Montgomery,
Newton, Pulaski, St Joseph, Tippeca-
noe, Vanderburg, Vigo and Warrick.
Machines are also used in Peru, but
not in other parts of Miami county.
Cost rs Per Cent Higher.
Election commissioners estimate
that there will be an increase of ap-
proximately % per cent in the cost
of the election, making an increase of
about $74, 900. In the election of 1918,
572,607 votes were cast, at cost of
S295,540, or SO cents for each vote
cast.
The doubling of the electorate will
not double the expense, because the
same officials can be used with the
addition of a number of assistant
clerks in each precinct. Officials in
charge of the election in each precinct
will decide whether to have separate
voting places for the women or use
one place for all. II separate places
are used, the expense will be greater,
as seven other officials in each precinct
would be required besides the new
clerks. In using the same voting place,
this expense would be avoided, and the
cost of the extra clerks and the addi-
tional ballots would be the only addi-
tional expense.
Members of the board Of election
commissioners said yesterday that new
precincts probably will not be requir-
ed There are 3,143 precincts in the
state all of which will be practically
doubled in the number Of their elector-
ate. 1t is thought that an addition to
the clerical force in the precincts to