Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-10-13
Fraudulent Voting
IHan+inuad frnra Dana Onel


of the Executive Council:
Your petitioner alleges that he was
the duly nominated candidate of the
Democratic party at the last State
election held September 13th 1926, for
the office of Sheriff OF Kennebec coun-
ty; he further alleges that the returns
from various cities and towns in the
county as tabulated by abe first cam
vass of the returns made by the Gov
ernor and Council did not agree with
the record of the vote OF such cities
and towns, and that such records are
erroneous in the following particulars,
to wit
First: In all of the voting pre-
cincts of the city of Hallowell, it APP
pears that 494 votes We're reported in
the last State election for the office
of sheriff of Kennebec county for
Henry F. Cummings, the Republican
nominee for sheriff, and 377 votes We're
reported for your petitioner. 1t fur
Their appears that all of said votes
were illegally and unlawfully cast in
voting compartments which did not
comply with the laws of the State of
Maine as provided in Section II of
Chapter Z of the Revised Statutes of
1916, to wit: Said voting compart
city of Hallowell were not equipped
with a wooden swing door 80 ar
ranged that the top thereof shall be
not less than 6 feet from the floor and
the bottom of the door shall be at
least feet and 6 inches from the
floor" but only curtains were hung
for doors in said voting compartments.
Second: 1t appears that in Ward
three in the city of Gardiner 1+3 votes
were cast for Henry f. Cummings, the
Republican nominee for sheriff at the
last State election held September
18th, 1926, and so votes were cast in
said ward for your petitioner; it fur
! Their appears that all of said votes
| We're illegally and unlawfully cast in
| voting compartments which did not
| comply with the laws of the State of
/ Maine as provided In Section Ia of
! Chapter of the Revised Statutes of
! 1916, to w.t. The voting compartments
! in said Ward 3 did not have a wooden
| swing door $50 arranged that the top
| thereof shall be not less than feet
! from the floor. and the bottom of the
! door shall be at least . feet and 6
! inches from the floor" but only cur
tains were hung in said voting COM
partments,
Third: in the election precinct
| designated as Ward three in the City
| of Augusta. at least SO ballots We're
| fraudulently marked for Henry f
Cummings as the Republican candi-
date for Sheriff of Kennebec County
and were placed illegally and fraud
ulentally with the ballots actually
cast in said Ward in said election fol
the the candidates for the office OF
Sheriff of kennebec County. This
was done secretly after the polls
were closed, and without any color OF
right. After the polls We're closed
names of voters on the registration
list were checked roughly to cores
pond with the number of ballots thus
fraudulently marked and placed with
the ballots cast for the Office OF
Sheriff of Kennebec County, ano
said ballots so fraudulently marked
and placed were wilfully, falsely
and fraudulently included in the rec
ord and in the return of the election
officials of said Ward three, al
though they We're not actually
cast" in said Ward in said election
for the purpose of deceiving the
Canvassing Board which should re-
view this matter, thus vitiating the
return OF said election officials and
discrediting the vote of said Ward
except as 1t must be determined by
other competent evidence.
Fourth: In the election precinct
designated as Ward four in the city
of Augusta, at least So ballots were
fraudulently marked for Henry F.
Cummings as the Republican candi-
date for Sheriff of the Kennebec
County, and were placed illegally
and fraudulently with the ballots
actually cast in said Ward in said
election, for the office of Sheriff OF
Kennebec County. This was done
secretly, after the polls were closed,
and without any color of right. An
inspection of one Of the check lists
OF said Ward discloses that 500
| voters cast their votes in this Ward
at this State election; an inspection
of the other check list disclosed that
1888 names were checked Off An in
spection of the ballots cast in said
Ward four disclosed 957 ballots
showing at least 62 ballots have been
so fraudulently placed with the bal
| lots actually cast" Said ballots 20
fraudulently marked and pIaced
were wilfully, falsely, and fraudu-
lently included in the record and in
the return of the election officials Of
said Ward four. although they were
not actually cast" in said Ward In
said election, for the purpose of de-
| celvlng the Canvassing Board which
should review this matter thus VII
iating the return OF the State cleo
tlon officials and discrediting the
| vote of said Ward, except as II NAV
De determined by other competent
evidence. Your petitioner further al.
Ieses mat one bundle of ballots.
containing several hundred ballots
returned to the Secretary of STATE
! were not sealed in accordance with
! me law as provided in Section ~
| Chapter of the Revised Statutes ~
esIo' and neither was there CERT
ncate on said bundle of ballots sienod
| oy the warden of Ward CIeri5 ~
said Ward four in accordance LII. -.
the law. It further appears that Ger
tam persons, whose names AZ mas
ent TO your petitioner unlsnou,7,
! caused to be printed a large nunbe,,
VI panots upon white paper marked
with a heading Specimen RalIot',
anu olherwise similar to the baIIotS
furnished by the Secretary of Sat-
eor use IN said Ward -Four at said
state election on September 13tb
1876, and that these so-called "Sneci'
men Ballots" were marked bv said
person In certain way and given 70
| such voters of said Ward -Four as
would accept such specimen ballots.
Tor the purpose of unlawfully and