Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-19

WOMEN Al THE POLLS.

fall the women will vote. helping tc
select the next President. 1t has
been a long. hard struggle for equal
suffrage. but success is at last
achieved. With the action Of the
legislature OF Tennessee. making the
thirty-sixth state to ratify the suf-
rage amendment to the federal con-
stitution. three-fourths Of the states
have ratified thus fulfilling this con-
stitutional requirement to make an
amendment effective.
Now hat the women have the bal
lot what are they going to do with
it? They are to be put to a sever
test right at the very outset of their
political career.
Granting women the privilege Ct
voting means practically doubling
the electorate as far as actual num-
bers are concerned. Whether all the
women will take advantage of the
privilege that is now theirs and go to
the polls and vote is a question. Suf-
fragists have made a great deal of
noise and have put up al energetic
campaign, but, after all. they have
been but a small minority of the
of the country. No doubt the
s~uffragists have greatly outnumbered
the "antis," but between the two has
been the great American woman
hood who have held utterly aloof
and remained Indifferent as to
whether they vote or not. How
many OF these women will feel the
sense Of duty. now the privilege is
afforded them to vote. to go to the
polls on election day is a problem.
But from the Official point Of view
there can be no speculation on this
matter. Arrangements must be made
~5a-every voting precinct to take care
OF the possible increase in the num-
Der of ballots. In some districts 1t
will mean practically doubling
the number of voters. Not only will
pur present voting facilities not ac-
Eommodate such a number, but with
The polls not closing until I o'clock
at night the counting is going to run
far into the following day if eondi-
tons in the polling places remain the
same as they are now.
The present election law requires
that when the number of votes cast
at any general election shall reach
400 the district shall be divided. OF
course, with all the women voting
all the districts will have to be d.
vided, but unless the present law is
changed. this cannot be done until
after the coming election when. with
the aid of the women, the 400 limit
Will have been reached.
Clearly it is the duty of the legis-
lature under the circumstances, to
revise the election laws so that the
large increase in the number of
voters to be cast can be provided for.
It would cause the utmost confusion
and hardship to go into an election,
knowing that women as well as men
are to participate, without making
arrangements to care for them.
Then, there is another reason for
legislative action because of the new
condition caused by the enfranchis-
ing of the women. The federal
amendment that now goes into effect
following the action Of Tennessee,
overs only federal Offices. 1t has
nothing to do with state. county and
city ofaces. But all are on the same
ballot and the ballot is secret. How
is the woman voter to be prevented
from voting for state, county and
city candidates if she should so de-
sire? The ballot is handed to the
election officer folded and when the
ballots are counted there can be no
way of telling those that were cast
by women from those that were cast
By the men.
It is plain that If the m are to
be allowed to vote for federal Offices
they should also be permitted to
vote for all candidates. including
state. county and city, But to make
this possible the state constitution
has got to be amended and that
requires a vote of the people as well
as legislative action. Some steps
saou.d be taken to clear up the sit
untien.
When the legislature reconvenes
next month after its summer recess,
these election matters ought to have
prompt attention to the end that the
necessary legislation to relieve the
certain congestion in the voting dis
trIets and to allow the women to vote
for state and local Offices as well as
for federal candidates. may be en-
acted