The Tomahawk., 1920-01-01
FARMER VOTES
saw ED BY NORTH
DAKOTA LAW
Absent Voters Law Applied to All
Living Hall Mile Away.
WOMEN VOTERS HELPED.
Many Farmers and Farmers Wives
Lose Vote Through Storms, Mud,
Sickness, or Rush Of Farm
Work-EIection Law Safe
Guarded.

0udIOCOs
Bismarck, N. D.-With a new
election law passed by the special
session Of the legislature just
closed, North Dakota becomes
the first state to give farmers
and especially farmers wives as
good opportunity to vote as the
city man has.
Any voter who expects to be
away on election day or who lives
more than half mile from the
polling place may apply any time
within 80 days of the election for
an absent voters ballot.
The ballot must be voted in the
presence Of an election officer &C.
cording to the principles of the
usual system but in such man.
.ner that he cannot see the mark
ings made.
The new law is expected to pre-
vent farmers and farmers wives
from losing their votes on account
of storm, sickness, or pressing
work on the day set aside for cleo
ton.
AS contrasted with the city man
who generally has to go no further
than around the corner to vote, the
farmer has many handicaps. In a re-
state senator the farmers vote was
over 200 below normal because of a
severe snow storm, and the farmers
candidate lost.
Farmers Handicapped.
Montana politicians have set the
date for primary elections on Septem-
Der 3rd, with the express purpose Of
cutting down the farmer vote be-
cause of the harvest.
In 1918 over 200 rural North Dakota
precincts were unable to hold cleo
tons because of the influenza cpl
demic. At the same election the able
superintendent of schools was de-
cause the city women turned out in
force while the farm women could
not.
The new law allows the farmer and
the farmers wife to attend to their
most important public duty at any
time within 80 days of the regular
election.
Safe Guards Provided.
Application for the absent voters
ballot is made on a form furnished by
the county auditor by request. The
auditor also furnishes q return en-
velope on one side of which is an affi-
davit to be filled out by the voter and
by a notary or other officer authorized
by law to administer oaths.
Voters who are unable to read may
select some one TO aid in marking the
ballot who is not an official or men,
Der of any committee of any political
party.
The marked ballot must be sealed
in the envelope provided in the pres
ence of the officer, and Immediately
forwarded to the county auditor by
mail. The county auditor then distri-
butes the ballots to the precincts in
which the vote is to be counted.
On election day the qualifications
and the right Of the voter to cast his
ballot in the particular precinct is as
certained by the election board from
the information set forth on the back
of the envelope containing the ballot.
The envelope is then opened in the
presence of the full board, and the
ballot deposited in the ballot box with
out being unfolded or in any way ex-
amined to reveal the markings on it.
Violations Punished.
The new law makes it necessary to
have ballots prepared somewhat earli-
er than usual and officials charged
with that duty are to have them ready
for use at least Is days prior to the
election date.
Officials who fail to comply with all
the provisions Of the law or otherwise
violate it are liable to a fine of not
more than 500 or imprisonment in
the county jail not exceeding 80 days.