Evening star., 1960-05-01
PRIMARY
Special Importance Is Placed
On Morse-Humphrey Contest

something that is not done
anywhere else in the Nation,
according to Mr.. Scammon.
Normally voters stand in booths
while casting their ballots.
The vast majority of voters
are expected to take sample
ballots furnished by the rival
| political groups into the polls
with them to help mark their
official ballots.
Both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis will elect delegates to
their respective national party
conventions. The Republicans
will elect eight delegates with
one vote each and eight alter
nate delegates.
| A total Of 666 votes will be
required at the COP. national
convention to select the Repub-
lican presidential nominee.
Democratic Plan
The Democrats will choose
Is delegates with a half vote
each and eight alternates. The
national committeeman and the
national committeewoman Sc
lected by the Democrats here
will have a half vote each. CIV
ing the District delegation at
the Democratic national con-
vention a total of nine votes.
A total Of 761 votes is re-
quired for selection Of the
Democratic presidential stand
ard bearer.
In addition to choosing q ma
tional committeeman and ma
tional committeewoman. the
Democrats must also select an
alternate national committee
man and an alternate national
committeewoman.
While the Republicans will
elect q national committeeman
and committeewoman they do
not have alternateS for these
posts.
Members Of both parties will
also elect candidates for the
official party committees in the
District. Twenty-Five persons
must be elected to the Repub-
lican State Committee and rs
to the Democratic Central
Committee.
Questions on Suffrage
Each party has also proposed
three questions To be answered
by the voters.
The Republican ballot asks
whether voters favor national
representation and home rule.
Democrats are being asked
whether they want home rule
and whether the unit rule
should apply. A third question
asks whether the delegates
should be bound to vote on the
first ballot and all ballots there
after for the presidential can
didate who gets the most votes
until released by this candi-
date.
Another section Of this ques-
ton asks ''if so, shall they be
bound to vote for Senator
Humphrey or Senator Morse.
Mr.. Stevenson's name is not
on the ballot. However, q Draft
Stevenson Committee has en-
tered a slate of candidates for
delegate pledged to vote for Mr..
Stevenson at the Democratic
National Convention from the
first ballot on.
The D. C. Committee for
Humphrey and the D. C. Morse
flor President Club have also
entered states Of candidates for
delegate.
View on Binding
The Draft Stevenson Com
mittee is recommending that
voters cast their ballots against
binding the delegates.
1t is theoretically possible
that voters could approve the
binding question and at the
; same time elect the Draft Stew
enson Committee delegates.
Then the question would
arise whether the Stevenson
pledged delegates would be
bound to vote at the conven-
: ton for either Senator Morse
or Senator Humphrey, depend
ing on which one won the
presidential preference ques-
ton.
Mr.. Chase has said that since
| the delegates backed by his
: committee have said publicly
. in the campaign they would
vote for Mr.. Stevenson on the
) first ballot they will honor
. their promise" regardless Of
what happens on the binding
question.
Mr.. Stevenson has said re-
: peatedly that he is not a can
didate and has asked District
voters not to vote for the dele
2 gates pledged to him.
= However, Mr.. Chase has sale
:, that Americans have an his,