The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-29
LEGISLATURE ID BE
 ASKED ID CHANGE
 METHOD OF VOTING
M. E. Morris and James F. Elliott Invent Machine for Countying BaIIotS-Big
 Saving is Claimed

Thousands of dollars saved to Jeff ferson county in holding its elections, elimination of the long hours re- quired to count the votes under the present system of balloting after the polls are closed and enabling the re- suits to be known within an hour after the polls are closed are some of the advantages claimed for the El- liott- Morris voting machine, whose adoption will be urged for all the counties of the state when the next legislature meets in January, 1923.
 According to M. F. Morris. chairman of the Jefferson county board of reg istrars. who, with James F. Elliott, resident of this county, and member of the exemption board here during the war, who have jointly invented the machine, patents have already been applied for and are expected to be issued within short time. MT. Morris, who has been an advocate ot the use of voting machines for some time, claims that their use will great ly facilitate the voting and count ing of ballots as well as resulting in a considerable reduction in the ex- pense of holding elections in the county especially in the primary con tests where the ballots are often long and involved on account of the large number of candidates contesting tor the various offices. He states that the machine, Of which he and MT. Elliott are joint inventors, is superior to other similar machines because of the fact that it is adjustable to any number of candidates instead of to a limited number and that it can be constructed at approximately one balf the cost required to manufacture others
 Big Time-Saver
 According to data received by him voting machines are now in use in New York. with the exception of New York city, and in Indiana, Iowa, gon and other states, and are con sidered great improvement over the old method of paper ballots
 By the use of voting machine the total results, regardless of the number of votes cast he says, can be known in five minutes after the polls close. Because of the saving of time in the counting, the polls could remain open longer and the count be made within an hour after the close Elections in Jefferson county now re- quire two or three days in counting when the contest is close.
 By the use of voting machine this delay in time and the work and cost attendant upon it could be elim- mated and the total results known within an hour after the polls close"
 Work on the perfection of the ma chine has covered a period of two years by the inventors, it is stated, and an effort will be made before the next legislature to have a constitu- tional amendment submitted chang ing the. present election laws so that each county of the state will be al lowed, if it so desires, to adopt the machine method of voting instead Of the present system of paper ballots. An amendment to the constitution will be necessary before any county can adopt this method, it is stated, be- cause under the present constitution the manner of holding elections is re- quired to be uniform throughout the state.
 If the amendment is ratified an et- fort will then be made to have Jer- ferson county adopt the machine method of voting, it is stated.