The St. Paul echo., 1926-02-06
CITY CLERK PROFFERSq
ADVICE TO ALL VOTERS

Continued from page u
residence must be filed ten days prior
to every election day and the latest
date on which transfers will be &C
cepted with the assurance that such
transfers can be made will be March
6, 1926, for the City Primary Elec-
ton and April Oath for the City Gen
eral Election. ..
There are twelve wards in the City
of st. Paul, divided into ZIG voting
precincts. On election days, the polls
are open for fifteen hours, or from
6 A. M. until P. M. The experience
of past elections shows that a ma
jority of citizens wait until after
P. M. to cast their ballots, which
works more than hardship upon
those citizens of your district serving
as election board members. There
fore, every effort should be made by
those than can possibly do so to go
to the polls as early during the open
hours as possible, thereby allowing
the evening hours for those citizens
who have not had the opportunity
during the working day to do their
duty. The average number of hours
worked by election board members in
the City at the last election of No
vember 4th was twenty and one-half
hours, for which each member re-
ceived $500 compensation.
Changes in Law.
Several very important changes in
the election laws were adopted by
the Forty-Second session of the Min
nesota Legislature, first among which
was a provision for a certificate,
signed by the voter, before a ballot
can be cast, which is to be compared
with his or her signature upon the
registration card and is designed to
eliminate possibility of fraudulent
voting. Also there are provisions
now permitting the City Council to
appoint all the election officials and
one disqualifying the appointment OF
more than one official from the same
family. Another permits the City
Council to designate the boundaries
of all voting precincts regardless of
the number of registered voters re-
siding therein.
These changes were supported by
advocates of good government, and
we believe them necessary to carry
out the principle embodied in the
Permanent Registration Law.
Candidates.
In order for citizen to have his
name presented to the electorate on
the City Primary Election ballot, at
least fifty voters must have filed a
petition of presentation, between the
End of January and the 18th of Feb
ruary. Likewise, a candidate must
file a certificate of acceptance on OF
before the 23rd of February and pay
a ten-dollar fee as required by law
No filing fee, however, is charged fol-
the filing of the petitions of presen.
tation.
Any number of candidates may be
so presented to the electorate on the
Primary Election ballot. However
only twice that number of candidates
will be nominated at the Primary
Election as are to be elected to the
respective offices at the General OF
final election for which the Primary
or selective election is held.
Expense of Elections.
Elections are quite expensive. Poll,
ing places must be rented and cleo,
ton board members hired and print,
ing done. And everything must be
in readiness so that each and every
citizen that is entitled to vote will
have the opportunity, irrespective OF
his or her attitude on election day.
In 1918, with 1872 voting precincts
in the City, the election cost for the
City was $50, 1923; in 192O-$56,S9S;
in 1922-with 200 precincts the
cost amounted to $95,559. In 1924
with 216 precincts, the cost was $751;
Up. For the year 1926, the Council
has appropriated the sum of $4,000
the same amount, approximately
as that expended in the year 1920
with "a more precincts in the City
ard better than $4,000 more regis
tered voters now than in 1920.
This shows conclusively that the
Permanent Registration Act, while a
great convenience to the voters, is
likewise great saving to them as tax
payers as well.
In conclusion, l would like to call
attention to the fact that the City
Clerks Office is owned by and oper-
lated for the residents of the City OF
st. Paul, that the cost, while low
1T amounts to only "a mills of each
tax dollar-is paid by the tax payer.
The Clerk and the personnel of the
Office feel, therefore, that the public
is entitled to every service and cour-
tesy which it can ask. We are ready
to serve and willing to serve. Try
us out!