The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-05-11
POLITICAL PARTIES SCARED
OF BIG PRIMARY BALLOT
New Primary Ballot With All Names One Ballot Sheet
May Disquafy Many Voters is Belief of Party Chiefs
Large Ballot Being Assembled.

This week Mike Holm, secretary OF
ballot in anticipation of the coming
state primaries which are scheduled for
June 18 next and, to use his own
language, Minnesota in its time may
have had longer ballots, but none of
the blanket size that will be handed
voters next June. All party offerings
are printed on one sheet.
The new ballot will be not less than
fifteen inches in width and from a
to 80 inches in length. The large sheet
will make it necessary for the larger
population centers to completely re-
model their marking shelves to accom-
odate the new ballot.
The ballot, a Farmer-Labor party
creation and, strange to relate, backed
by enough Republicans of both houses
to make it reality, is officially des-
ignated as a consolidated primary
election ballot" Party candidates for
the various state officers are arranged
in columns with those of the Farmer
Labor political unit leading. In order
follow those carrying the Republican
and Democratic labels. Ruled lines Of
mourning size separate the party
columns
Heading each party column in type
large enough to attract is the warning:
'You cannot split your ballot. II you
vote for candidates of more than one
party, your ballot will be rejected"
But whether the voters will heed the
warning is puzzling the party heads and
their doubts are growing with the days.
Bets are that ballot reflections viii not
be far short of 20 per cent of the total
The fear is expressed by political old
timers that many of the voters viii
ignore the warming above and browse
about in the bountiful display of names
before them, thus FORGETTING their
franchise and spoil their ballot
On the other hand, prominent
Farmer-Labor members who assisted in
drafting the new ballot act, feel that
it is step in the right direction and
boon to voters who are unwilling to
have their party preference made public.
Farmer-Labor party chiefs claim that
the new ballot grew out of alleged
abuses in the Arrowhead Country and
on the iron ranges where voters fear
full of their jobs and small business men
in awe of higher-upS, either did not
participate in the primaries or asked
for the ballot of the major political
parties instead
Opposition party heads cannot get
away from the brief that the conditions
charged were not altogether respon-
sible. Rather, they say, the whole
thing was predicated on the belief that
it would enable the new political unit
to invade the primaries of the two
other parties, and bring about the in
dorsement of candidates less likely to
make trouble for their own in the
general election to follow. The chances
along the line noted, however, are
almost nil this year. With the possible
exception of governor, rival Farmer
Labor candidates for the various nomin-
atoms came forward daily. 1t was the
Farmer-Labor organization hope that
candidate filings would be confined TO
those Endorsed at the late Farmer
Labor nominating convention.
Anyway party organizations feel that
they will have some Job educating the
voters for the new ballot They have
barely finished getting people ac-
quainted, although not thoroughly
familiar with, the Australian ballot
when this thing comes along.