The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-31
MAMMOTH JOB
FACES PRESS
NEXT TUESDAY
News Association Organizes
to Tell Vote Story
of BaIioting.

By United Press
NEW YORK, Oct. 31.--Next Tues
day the most complicated problem
of gathering which confronts
the American press, that of cover
ing a presidential election, will
plunge the newspapers of the coun-
try into some forty EIGHT hours of
activity concentrated to the high
est degree.
Telling the news of champion
shin prize fight, of disaster at
sea, or of the flight Of Lindbergh,
all have their complications. But
compared to the reporting of ma
tional election they have the adj
vantage of being confined to fairly
definite localities and can be
watched from one to a score of def
mite localities and can be watched
from one to a score Of definite news
sources.
In a national election every pre-
cinct in every county in every state
N the Union must be covered. To
organize this coverage requires the
services or close cooperation of lit
orally thousands of persons.
The burden of the task of build
ing up this vast organization. falls
upon the press association, which
has the Invaluable assistance of its
member newspapers in every section
Of the country.
Courier Used Sometimes
When the polls close next Tues
day, in every precinct the count will
begin and as this count is completed
It will be telephoned, telegraphed,
or, In the case of remote precincts
sent by courier to the county seat.
At the county seat there will be
q man work whose task it is to
keep count of the returns from the
precincts in his country, and trans
nit the totals to the nearest United
Press bureau.
At the bureau, men with tables
prepared in advance, adding mach
ines and other equipment, receive
these returns from the counties II
their state, tabulate chem just as
the man at the county seat tabula-
ted the precinct figures, and will
thus compile the totals for the state
At regular intervals these state
bureaus or headquarters will send
out over the general wires of the
United Press, the figures showing
how the count in their state STANDS
at that particular hour.
These state bulletins speed over
he wires to New York where tables
dealing with the stataes instead OF
counties or precincts as units, are
kept by another staff Of men anu
constantly watched by the United
Press political writer's.
Send Out Bulletins
These reporters, who have been
following the campaign since 1t be-
gan, constantly compare the figures
and study the trend Of the count.
At intervals of about an hour they
prepare the general leads"--the
new stories which sum up the re-
suits reported through the intr1-
cate network of wires which pene-
trate to the most remote corners OF
the nation.
In each state bureau of the
United Press other men will tabu-
late in the same manner the returns
for members of congress, for the
United States senate, for Governor,
and in other contests which are
local TO the states or to the con-
gressional districts. The method
and the organization is the same as
tor the national election.
When the election of Governor,
a congressman or a senator is made
certain, the news will be bulletined
over the general wires and will
reach New York, where tables COW
ering such. offices also will be kept.
Other political writer's watching
these tables, will record whether
congress is to be Republican or