The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-11-07
VOTING LIGHTER
THAN EXPECTED
Under l 800 Votes Cast in
BrattIeboro at 1870
This Noon
CONDITIONS OF
WEATHER POOR
Interest Centers in Town Representa-
tive Vote and Both Nominees Are
Running misunderstanding Adopted
by Civil Authority.

Election day opened in Brattleboro
today under weather conditions which
were not favorable to getting out SO
large vote as had been expected. mist
falling throughout the forenoon, after q
night of rain. Up to 1880 o'clock
slightly under ] 800 votes had been cast
in six and a half hours. with only two
and half hours remaining before time
to turn the ballot box on the town rep
resentative election. in which interest
centers. 1t was estimated that the
total would not run much over 1000,
whereas the check list contains more
than 5000 names.
Constable Chauncey |. Knapp. who IS
in charge, announced at G o'clock that
the voting would proceed. From 80 to
10 voters were in Festival hall at that
time The heaviest voting was from
6.30 to $50 After that it dropped
down. and during the noon hour the bal
lot clerks had comparatively easy time
Republican headquarters. fayoring the
reelection of Frank f. Barber for town
representative. were opened in the Cham
Der of Commerce rooms. while Independ-
ent headquarters. favOring the election
ef DIR. Edward II. Lyich, were opened III
the Selecnens room.
Clerks employed ly each side took
doYn the names of the voters as they
passed through the gates. rushing their
lists downstairs to the respective head
quarters. where they were checked off the
voting lists. Automobiles were kept con-
stantly on the 90. bringing in voters.
An important meeting of the board of
civil authority was held this forenoon
10 determine the policy of the board
toward adding names to the check list
Certain questions come up at every cleo
lion, and it was felt by the board that
some definite policy should be adopted
for guidance in the future. II was voted
that no names should be added TO the
check list after u O'Clock on the Satur-
day night preceding an election. except
names of persons who come within the
exceptions laid down by the statutes
These exceptions are cases where per
sons become u years of age after the
Saturday night preceding election and
persons whose names are omitted
through clerical error. Such persons are
entitled to have their names added to
the list after the time limit mentioned.
Ii was voted that if person makes
no effort to see that his name is on the
list before u O'Clock Saturday night
before election the omission of his name
shall not be considered as clerical err
rOr. This imposes upon each voter the
duty of seeing every year that his name
Is on the check list even though he may
have been voter and taxpayer ever
since he became of age.
Several cases in point came before the
board this forenoon. Some involved men
who have voted for years but whose
names disappeared from the check list
when they became 40 years of age be-
cause they were no longer on the tax
list from which the check list is made
mp. Under the ruling those persons cam
not vote. and while the board doubt
less was strictly within its rights in
80 voting the feeling was expressed by
some persons not on the board that if
such a ruling was to be made il should
have been made before last Saturday
night So that public notice could have
been given inaSmuch as voters similarly
situated always have been allowed to
vote in the past
The number of voters affected is not
large but in a close vote it might be
large enough to make a difference. The
members of the board were emphatic in
their belief that there should be reg
istration law which would eliminate
these oueSt ions