The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1920-12-24
LEAGUE TICKET KNOCKED ou1
ENTIRELY WITH EXCEP-
TION OF REGISTER OF
DEEDS; SHERIFF.
NOT CONTESTED

The election contest which was
broubht by the republicans against
the successful candidates of the
Nonpartisan League in this county
at last election, resulted in a victory
Tor the republicans, except in the
case of Laten Teare, for register of
deeds. The office of sheriff was not
contested.
In summing up the situation in
an attempt to give the true and cor
rect reason for the courts decision
in this case, we come to this soln-
tion as to how it happened which
can be expressed in three words
defectively marked ballots.
There were over 1000 votes cast
in the last election in Roberts coun-
ty, and our candidates who had
small majorities on the count made
by the Judges of election in the var
ious precincts, are declared defeat
cd on the contest and the recount
made by Judge Anderson by plural
titles ranging from about 40 for the
highest to about IA for the lowest.
Notwithstanding that the election
laws of the state plainly provide, in
cases where ballots are not clearly
marked, that the judges shall
endeavor to record the intention of
the voter. and which we believe was
fairly and honestly done at the late
election, yet the courts of the state
have decided that the laws relating
to the marking of ballot are so
very plain and simple that if the
voter does not record his choice ac-
cording to their particular require
ments the judges of election and
the courts are not requested to
make efforts in order to ascertain
his or her intention. Another rea-
son may be given for the holding
and that is that the voter is EMIT
ted to three ballots, and in the event
of the first ballot being spoiled by
the elector in the process of voting
he may be given another ballot. and
90 on to the extent of three. But
in many cases where ballots were
for different reasons defectively
marked this rule was not adheared
to and they were consequently
thrown out on the ground that they
were not legal.
By way of information. and in
order to make this matter plain to
our readers, we shall give here a
few examples of what were held to
be illegal votes, in the recount of
ballots at the contest.
There were in many of the voting
booths throughout the county q
rubber stamp provided for the con-
venience of the voter i'm making the
cross in the circle at the head of his
ballot in preference to using pen
oil. Anyone who has used one of
these stamps knows that consider
able care is necessary to insure a
clear and accurate marking even
where the stamp is new and clear
cut. The count at the contest show
ed, however, that in the use Of this
stamp many ballots had been de-
fectively marked. either by the inn
possible rubber stamp or lack Of
care on the part of the elector. or
both. Some were blurred, some
were not marked clearly, others had
the cross little aside of the circle,
others showed that only part of the
cross had printed, and again others
we're nothing more than smutty
spot, which looked as though the
eubber had in some manner become
disconnected and left only the i'm
print OF the end of the stick. This
seemed to especially have been the
ease in two of the Leagues strong
holds.
In these particular precincts it ap-
peared from the different ballots
that there was nothing on the bot
tom Of the stamp and in attempting
70 make the cross only the bottom
Of the stick was shown, which made
only a black square. OF course,
since there were only a very few re-
publican votes cast in these pre-
sfncts and practically all being Nom
pal1isan, the odds were naturally
Against us. There were others
Nhrown out where pencil had been
.nel and the voter had faiiad to