Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-20
Goes
TO Polls Today
In Primary Test
Stevenson Opposing
Kefuuver in First
Major Encounter
BY DOUGLAS b. CORNELL
Associated Press stan Writer

By DOUGLAS b. CORNELL
Associated Press stan Writer
MINNEAPOLIS, Mar. 90
Minnesota went to the polls to-
day in a question-mark presi-
Dental primary.
Election officials reported fair
to "brisk" early voting.
For the Democrats, it's Adlai
IL. Stevenson against Senator
Estes Kefauver of Tennessee. the
man Mr.. Stevenson bowled over
at the National Convention four
years ago on the way to a pres
idential nomination he said he
never sought.
This time he is seeking con-
Ivention votes-30 of them from
Minnesota. So is Senator Ke-
fauver.
For the Republicans. it is Pres
ident Eisenhower, without a con-
test. He will get the States %
Republican votes at the G. o. P.
Convention next August.
Senator William F. Knowland
of California is in the Republican
primary in name only. He de-
lcided not to campaign after Mr..
Eisenhower said he would run
| for reelection, but not in time
to get his name off the Min
nesota ballot.
Heavier Turnout Seen
Guesses on the voter turnout
ranged upward to 100000, COM
pared with 426, 1000 four years ago.
The Weather Bureau predicted
moderation Minnesota-tem-
peratures in the 30s, and moth
ing worse than partly cloudy
skies.
Polls are open in the States
1893 precincts from 8 am. to 8
pm, EST.
This is the Nations second
primary, and Mr.. Stevenson and
Senator Kefauver both are on
the ballot for the first time,
along with states Of convention
delegates pledged to them. So
Minnesota supplies a more in
cisive test for their presidential
ambitions than the primary last
Tuesday in New Hampshire,
where Senator Kefauver picked
off all eight convention votes.
Mr.. Stevenson kept his name
off the ballot in New Hampshire
and didn't campaign there, al
though a delegate slate favor
able" to him was entered.
Obstacles to Kefauver
Except for a small but fer
vent committee of helpers, Sen
ator Kefauver has had to cam
paign pretty much on his own
against what he says have been
"handicaps and OBJ
stacles." Yet in rural areas he
has been making friends and
pulling up.
Massed behind Mr.. Stevenson
have been all the influence and
activity of the State party or
ganzation, led by Gov. Orville
Freeman and Senator Hubert
Humphrey.
Consequently. if Mr.. Steven
son is to win heavily in any
primary, he ought to do it in
this one. He has been favored
right along. mainly because Of
the array of organized power in
his corner.
But a big question is how
much Senator Kefauver's ac-
celeration in small towns and
farm areas will carry over into
today's balloting.
Another major question is:
How many Republicans will
cross into the Democratic pri-
mary and vote for Senator Ke-
fauver, not to help the Senator
but to hurt the former Illinois
Governor and the Democratic
Organization?
Groundwork Established
Then there is this question:
What does it take to win?
Senator Kefauver says he will
do far better. but will consider
80 per cent of the Statewide
vote a victory. He says he ex-
poets to capture four or five of
the nine Congressional districts.
Mr.. Stevenson is using a
measuring stick marked for SIS
to so per cent of the vote. He
says he will be content with that.
He said the press called it a
landslide when Mr.. Eisenhower
took SIS per cent of the popular
vote in trouncing him in the
1852 presidential election.
Thus the groundwork has been
established for each of the Dem
ocratic rivals to say he won if
Mr.. Stevenson gets as much as a
10 to 80 per cent cut on the votes
or as little as a IS to As per cent
split.