Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-05
Straw Votes.

This is the season of the straw vote.
Smpatient with the seemingly slow adj
vance of time toward election day, politi-
cal researchers are trying to forecast the
outcome of the great national referen-
dunn by means of tests Of sentiment in
advance. Cross sections of public opin-
ion are being made by means of infor-
NAL, unofficial balloting, conducted by
newspapers, periodicals and enterpriS-
ing individuals, eager to penetrate the
veil that hangs before the polls at which,
on November 6, the American electorate
will assemble to record the will of the
country as to the presidency.
For many years this has been the
practice, and much effort and large
sums have been expended in the en-
deavor to forecast elections by such
means. Some day, perhaps, study of
these prediction reckonings will be
made, to the end of determining how
accurate they have been and how de-
pendable they are as signs of the times.
With each successive straw vote there
come innovations, suggested by expert
ence. The business of taking the politi-
cal temperature of the patient before
the crisis of the case has become more
scientific.
Straw voting is not always sincere,
however. There is good deal Of what
IN the vernacular is called joShing in
the making out of the informal ballots
and coupons and postal cards. Some
straw voters delight in twisting their
reports in order to confuse the returns.
But as a rule most of those who respond
to the invitation to state their intentions
do so earnestly and honestly in the hope
that their example will encourage those
Of that same line of thinking.
The psychology of these test votes is
Chat good many people like to be on
the winning side. They are pleased to
feel that they have contributed to VIC
tory rather than participated in losing
cause. So If the straw vote shows a
marked tendency. in one direction 1t may
have the effect of drawing waverers to
that side, those who have no strong con-
Yictions as to issues or candidates but
hre swayed by mass sentiment.
In the informal balloting now In
progress particular attention is given to
the matter of how the users Of the cou-
pom and post card ballots voted at the
last election. In all of these tests Of
sentiment there is plain evidence of
considerable change from 1924, and
whenever the tables of totals are printed
there is a great deal of figuring in an
effort to work out ratio of detection
Is a guide to the possible overcoming
M majorities and realignment of States.
Fortunately the election is not deter
mined on the basis of straw voting. 1t
Us hoped that this current contest will
be participated in by 100000 people,
perhaps more, the highest number ever
going to the polls in American history.
In the highest of the totals recorded in
the informal balloting now in progress
there is no approach to this figure. In
other words, only small fraction of the
people are responding to the invitation
to declare themselves In advance of
election day, and the result will be de-
termined by the millions who do not
thus proclaim themselves ahead Of time
Nevertheless, the "straws" are unde-
niably interesting, however valuable they
may be.