New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-11-06
THE POPULAR VOTE

lf1tI l-OI SLAb tcAA
The election today finds 20 states
uncertain; and 10 others are not
considered safe for either party The
political writer's have done their
best to tell what will probably hap
pen before the event; but at the
same time they admit there are I'M
forseen probabilities everywhere.
The elections of 1920 and 1924 were
sham battles compared with TINS
one; there wasn't a doubtful state
in the Union and almost anyone
could tell in advance who would be
elected. But not SO today.
This is a year when every vote
counts'-even in Connecticut. here
tofore regarded as certain ground
for the Republican elephant. The
result has been that nearly every
one entitled to vote has registered.
The popular vote Throughout the
nation Is destined to be around 49,
100000. The percentage OF voters
actually voting is almost certain to
surpass the percentage OF former
year.
The records show that the popular
vote during the first 40 years OF the
republic was ridiculously low. This
was due to the fact that the legis-'
latures in a majority of states at
first chose the presidential electors,
which in such states obviated the
necessity of presidential voting by
the people. As late as 1924 six leg
is,atures continued to hold onto such
power. The Constitution states that
the presidential electors shall De
chosen only in such manner as the
legislatures of the states may d.
rect. ard 1t was some time before
all of them directed that the cleo
tors shall be chosen by popular vote.
Since .1S2S-1O0 years ago-the
record of the popular vote has been
kept devoid of error. From that time
an it began to grow. The total num-
her of citizens voting for president
in that wear was 1,156.32S: and this
Se4 rer cent of the population. Let
II he noted that this percentage re-
fers to population, not to eligio'es'
BY 1875 the percentage OF voters ~
population had risen to 1875.
From 1880 on the records give
the percentage of eligibles who ac'u-
a,,v went to the polls. In this year
e21s.251 citizens voted. this being
"a ner cent of the voters. BY 1870
when 1s.4S6,s4o voted, the percent
age of eligible voters who went 10
the polls had dropped to 7o.5 per
cent.
Then the new element entered.
Tho women were given the vote, and
having acquired no voting habit, ana
MANY of them not being greatly IN
terested in politics. the percentage
If waters who actually voted dropped
alarmingly. In 1920 the total OF vot-
ers who went to the polls was 26,-
674171; or a percentage of 500. In
1924 The total who voted was 49,
091,417; or a percentage of $50.
DR.. Simon Michelet. the election
statistician whose figures are reA
garded as the most authorltatlVe
we have. estimates that the total OF
voters this year will be between 3d.
100000 and 4o.000,0o0. Eligibles
who vote, however, will not be 100
per cent, nor even 80 per cent, as
some observers have fondly hoped.
DIR. Michelet announces the total
humber of persons OF voting age is
aboa-e s5.o00,O0o. In spite Of the fer
vid interest in 1929 politics. there
are 100000 who for one reason
or another are not on the registra-
ton lists.
1t is the new voters which makes
of the election this year such
horse race that the wise have care
fully refrained from risking their
regulations upon forecGs'ing the
outcome. The issue that has created
this immense enhancement Of ma
tional interest in an election has not
ieen the tariff. nor prosperity, nor
any of the other single issues that
have been talked about. It is the is
sue of Smith. his personality. what
he stan1s for, or what he opposes.
People are for or against him with
unexampled fury. And from the
time this sees print until the grand
finale there will he but a few hours
Of waiting hours which for most of
us will be chock fun of suspense
and excitement The quadrennial
turore has arrived.