Registration of voters.

Fuller,

Gov't by People, 22-30.

The Australian ballot.

The process of voting.

appeal is being made to prejudice and selfish interests than was formerly the practice.

ELECTIONS

28. Preëlection Requirements. - In one half of the States all electors who wish to vote must register their names before election, showing where they reside and proving that they have a right to vote. In the other States, registration is usually required only in cities. These registered electors can then vote only at the election booth of the precinct in which they live. This enrollment is necessary to prevent men from voting in more than one precinct, as the officials in charge of the election usually do not have a personal acquaintance with the voters, except in country precincts. In fact, registration lists do not prevent "repeaters" from registering under different names in different precincts. Some fraud results from a failure to revise lists at intervals, so that repeaters often use the names of persons who have moved or died.

In early elections and in England until recently, votes were given verbally. The written ballot came into use in America during colonial times, but as elections became more numerous and democratic, ballots printed by each party for its members and open ballot boxes led to a great amount of fraud. Reform began in this country about 1888. Most of the States have now adopted, with some modification, a form of ballot similar to that in use in Australia. The names of candidates of each party or ticket are placed in a column separate from the candidates of all other parties. Sample ballots are sent to the voters by the city or county clerks before election, so that an opportunity is given to learn the names and investigate the qualifications of the candidates.

29. Holding an Election. A person who wishes to vote goes to the polling place which has been selected for his

A SAMPLE AUSTRALIAN BALLOT

To vote for a person, stamp a cross (X) in the square at the right of the name.

1313

Fuller,
Gov't by
People, 80-
101.

Hart, Actual precinct by the authorities, and which is kept open about Gov't, § 37. ten hours on election day. He first gives his name and ad dress to a clerk who records both and learns whether the voter was duly registered, provided registration is required. He then receives a numbered official ballot, which he takes into a booth where he is cut off from communication with others. With a rubber stamp he places a mark opposite the names of the candidates of his choice (or, if permissible, opposite the name of the party, if he wishes to vote a "straight" ticket), folds the ballot, and hands it to the election inspector. The inspector tears off the number, announces the name of the voter, and then deposits the ballot in the ballot box. The clerk at the same time records the fact that the person has voted. In most States some towns or precincts use ballot machines on which the voter records his preferences by the use of knobs and levers, the vote being recorded mechanically by the machine when the voter leaves the booth.

Challenging of votes.

Canvassing the votes.

Fuller, Gov't by People, 110-119.

Times of holding elections.

Each party is allowed to have a certain number of "watchers," who make sure that the election proceedings are perfectly regular. Any voter may be "challenged" by any other voter on the ground that the former is not eligible to vote in that precinct. He must then take oath that he has a right, or he will be excluded from voting.

When the polls are closed, the ballots are publicly counted by the judges, who then forward the ballots to a canvassing board which examines the returns and makes an official announcement of the number of votes cast for each candidate. The successful candidates are duly notified and later installed in office.

The usual time for holding county, state, and national elections is the Tuesday after the first Monday of November. City elections are ordinarily held separate from other elections, either in November of different years from the state elections or at other times. Town elections are usually held in the spring.

In many States the use of voting machines is permitted by law. In the one shown above all of the candidates on one ticket are in the same horizontal column, all of the candidates for any office being in the same vertical column. After closing the curtains the voter turns one of the large knobs shown at the left of the cut. This raises all of the little pointers in that horizontal column, and completes the process if the voter wishes to vote a "straight" ticket. If he desires to vote for other candidates for any offices, however, he turns down the pointer in the column in which the office is located and turns up the pointer which is immediately above the candidate preferred. In either case he then opens the curtains and the vote is mechanically recorded.