The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-02-01
PLAN FOR PRIMARY
VOTING BY MAIL
HARRY B. MITCHELL AND r /
CARROLL OFFER NEW IDEA
TO SAVE EXPENSE

Helena, Jan. 20.-State tax asso-
citation is going to urge upon the leg
islature the passage of a bill which
it is believed would save the tax paw
ers of the state at least $500, 900 in
the conduct of next years primary
elections. That was decided at a
meeting of the executive committee
of the association held in Helena on
Saturday evening and continued on
Sunday, according to Harry B. Nit
chell, president of the association.
J. T. Carroll, formerly clerk of the
supreme court, and now secretary of
the tax association, is the author of
the measure and it provides that all
primary voting hereafter will be con
Quoted by mail. While some of the
details have yet to be worked out,
the bill provides that at primary
elections hereafter all ballots shall
be east by mail, sent to the county
seats and counted there by various
county officers in full publicity and
with every precaution taken that all
parties and all candidates shall be
assured of a square deal and that
the secrecy of the ballot shall be full
Nv protected. The bill makes no
change in the primary law except in
the manner Of voting and in the fill
ing of nomination papers. The prin-
ciple remains unchanged.
Candidates Pay
1t is to be provided that candi-
seeking a party nomination are
to pay a small fee-2 per cent of
the salary is suggested-at the time
of filing, and the necessity of get
ting signatures is done away with.
Ballots are to be prepared and sent
out by the county clerk to every reg
voter, and he marks the bal
in his home, returning the ballot
to the count clerk by mail, together
with his signature on a card sent
dIOuS Will CuS DdliOC 1OI OLdU puI-
pose. The signature on the card is
compared with the signature on the
registration books in order to make
of the genuineness of the bal
and in other ways every precau-
5oin is taken to prevent any sort of
classifying. The ballots are to be
by county officers with
watchers present to see that every i;
hing is as it should be.
Estimated Saving t
Mr.. Carroll has gone rather deeply &
INTO the cost of operating under the /
present system and the comparative t
cost of the primary elections in the !
counties throughout the state |
n 1916. According to these figures i
he cost of the two primaries in that
,ear was $237.00O. 1t is figured that
lnder the proposed system the cost O
would not exceed 10 cents per ballot |;
nd if that is the case it would not D
ost over $4,000 to conduct a pri- d
nary in that way. Further, Nj. Car b
oil figures that the cost would be e
than met by the filing fees of
.andidates, and it is believed that "
lost candidates would rather pay. al
he small filing fee than to go to the t.
rouble of going around and getting d.
ignatures. f.
A Time Saver /
Aside from the economy proposed, W
mere is no doubt that there would be a
dvantage to the state in the much fl
vote that would be cast under b
he proposed measure. Further, there W
be a large indirect saving Of u
me and expense to voters, especial
in the country districts, through 10
lie doing away with the necessity Of OF
ach vtoer going personally to the b.
oils. Notice of the introduction of w
lie bill will be given Monday or
uesday and the bill introduced 10
lortly thereafter. OF