The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-16
LAW
CHANGES TOLD
Another Controversy Deals
With Write In Names,
Split Party Votes
| Star-NeWS
Raleigh Bureau

ItdlCl6h DuAN
RALEIGH, Feb. Is -Convening
time for the Senate caught the
Joint Elections Committee Friday
before action could be taken on
proposed amendments to the state
election laws, but members heard
Col. w. T. Joyner, chairman O.
the State Board of Elections, ex-
plain in detail how the proposed
changes would affect election
practices.
Admittedly ire most %controver-
sial item is t7= proposal 10 require
dividing al pre-rs with more
than 1850 registered ro.srs- JOY
ner said NJ had poLa5 re 100
county escNm opsrd rha-mea Oh
this Issue lz1 replies from 81. OF
whom z approved Two opposed
outright Iraa lza no comment
and touy agreed IN principle but
requested exceptions
Tentative agreement was reach
ed 10 permit precincts u more
tia. 800 voters when showing
was made mat card index OF
other systems enabled local cleo
ton officials TO carry on the cleo
ton without delay. Most trouble
occurred, the state chairman said,
over delays in finding names Of
registrants on long lists unless
some SUPPLEMENTAL indexing sys-
tenn was used.
Another potentially controversial
change dealt with write i'm
names and split party voting. Pro
posed amendment would prohibit
any person other than the voter
himself or his accredited repre-
sentative in case of blindness or
other physical inability to write,
from writing any name on official
ballots. Custom has been FOR cleo
ton officials to write in names
not printed on the tickets. This
practice caused several instances
of dispute in the last election and
required formal ruling of the at
torney general to decide who had
been elected. Other changes il the
law have to do mainly with the
mechanics of handling primary
and general elections and chiefly
concern election officials.
One amendment legalizes proce-
dure heretofore followed in nom.
mating candidates in special cleo.
tons for the general assembly OF
congress by authorizing party ex'
ecutive committees to make the
nominations. Another makes the
election statute conform exactly tt
the constitution in phraseology
about double office holding of cleo
ton officials. Still another clari
fies the right of election officials
to deputiZe any citizen as a peace
officer to maintain order around
polling places. This authority has
been implied and occasionally
used; the proposed change will
make it specific.
Another significant amendment
places upon the county elections
chairman, who is a public official,
rather than upon the county party
chairman, who is not a sworn of.
fetal, the obligation to notify other
counties of the nomination of can.
didates for the state senate in dis
tricts with rotation agreements
This grew out of the Alamance.
Orange episode in the last cleo.
ton When the Republican party
chairman in Alamance failed t.
notify the election officials in Or.
ange Of the nomination OF a sena.
torial candidate. C~rotation agree.
ments have to do with nomina.
tions in the primary, but general
election voting is by districts. II
the last election the Alamance Re.
publican's name failed to get or
the Orange ticket because the
party chairman did not give prop.
er notice.
Proposed requirement for coun.
ty election boards to issue certifi
Gates of election to township off
GERS grew out Of a Stokes county
constable election last fall. Othe1
amendments seek to clarity pro
cedure in voting for candidate.
placed on the ticket after officia
ballots r printed, and for form
OF ballots in constitutional amend
ments. Many voters we're confuse,
In the board OF education amend
ments in 1912 and 1914 and in tn,
expense allowance for legislator
IN 1916 because of the wording o.
!, the ballot.
1t was significant and stresse,
. by Chairman Joyner that pendin
c amendments have no reference t
: absentee voting or to prosecutio
= OF local violations by the attorne
! general. These items may be COY
cred in subsequent bills.