The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1929-03-28


Helena, March 23.-But little at.
tempt was made by the recent legiS,
lature to revise the election laws anc
such changes as were made through
the few bills passed and approved by
the governor serve to alter existing
procedure only to small degree.
Probobly the most radical changes
were those provided by senate bill No
115, introduced by j. w. Schnitzler,
senator from Roosevelt county and re-
publican national committeeman for
Montana.
This measure, which amends chap
ter 1873 of the laws of 1927, relating
to the rotation of candidates names
upon the ballots in primary nominat-
ing elections, requires that the names
shall be rotated whenever two or more
persons are candidates for nomination
for the same Office, the old law hav-
ing required rotation only when there
were three or more candidates.
This same measure, however, pre-
vents a candidate who may have been
defeated for nomination upon the
ticket of his choosing from appearing
as the candidate at the general elec-
ton upon the ticket Of another party
in the event Of his nomination hav-
ing been brought about through the
writing in Of his name by voters Of
sush opposite party. This prohibition
is carried in the new law III the fol-
lowing words:
Provided, however, that, in the
event candidate whose name has
been printed upon the party ticket
for which his nominating petition
shall have been first filed shall fail
of nomination upon the ticket upon
which his name is SO printed, his
name shall not be printed upon any
ballot under any other party designa-
tion; and provided further that moth
Ing III this act stall preclude any
elector from having his name printed
upon the ballot as an independent |
candidate This act becomes effect
i've July 1, 1929.
Restricts Abuse of Proxies
Another of the new laws having a
bearing upon political activities is
that enacted as house bill No. "a,
which amends section 662, revised
codes, as amended by chapter 98 Of
the laws of 1927, relating to the
method to be followed in the election
of county and city central committee
men, and this simply re-enactS the
old law with the addition of a clause
placing a restriction upon the use OF
the proxy, the new clause reading as
follows:
sThe chairman of the county CEN
trail committee shall call said central
meeting) and not less than Is days
before the date of said central COM
mittee meeting, shall publish said
call in newspaper published at the
county seat and shall mail copy
Of the call, enclosing a blank proxy,
to each precinct committeeman. NO
proxy shall be recognized unless held
by an elector of the precinct Of the
committeeman executing the same"
The act becomes effective July !, 1929.
May Consolidate Ward Precincts
More leeway in the designing of
the boundaries of election precincts
in incorporated cities is granted un
der the provisions of substitute for
house bills Nos. 81 and IS. The old
law, section 545 Of the revised codes,
that precinct boundaries I
should conform to the wards OF IN
corported cities and towns and TO
boundaries of school districts but the 4
new law strikes out the word towns c
and makes it's provisions applicable
to cities ~of the first, second and third
classes with the added provision that
"any precinct may be divided into two
or more polling places" and that lin v
towns or municipal corporations other
than cities of the first, second and
third class election precincts may,
however, include two or more wards, :
1r may comprise the territory included ,
,y one or more wards together with
contagious territory lying outside said
towns" Like the pre-
seeding measures this will not become
effective until July /, 1929. E
Chapter SO of the laws of 1923,
which establishes the qualifications
if those who are eligible to vote upon
to create or increase the in n
iebedness of the state or any OF its !,
subdivisions, is amended by senate
ill NO. 6. which eliminates voting :
lpon questions of state or county t
ndebedneSS as covered in the old t;
aw and provides that "only such .
egistered electors OF. the city, town,
chool district or other municipal cor y
,oration, whose names appear upon d
he last preceding assessment roll,
hall be entitled to vote upon any !,
proposal to create or increase any !.
Indebtedness of city, town, school dis u
riot or other municipal corporation, pl
equired by law to be submitted to fc
ote of the electors thereof" :,
To cure defects in bond elections =
eretofore held where such elections II
vere not called upon "a petition Of II