Page:A History of the Australian Ballot System in the United States.djvu/61

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CHAPTER V
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN BALLOT IN THE UNITED STATES; THE MANNER OF VOTING; PENAL SANCTIONS

The greatest weakness of the unofficial ballot was its failure to secure a secret vote. The Australian ballot remedies this fault, first, by providing for the securing of ballots by the electors only on election day, within the polling-place, and from the regular election officers; and secondly, by providing absolute secrecy in the marking of the ballots.

I. OBTAINING THE BALLOTS

Instead of distributing the ballots in advance of the election, or by ticket peddlers at each polling-place on the day of election, as under the unofficial ballot system, the Australian ballots are distributed only within the polling-place to electors who have proved their qualifications. The New Hampshire law of 1891[1] is typical of the procedure required for obtaining the ballots.

Any person desiring to vote shall, before being admitted within the guard-rail, give his name in a loud and distinct tone of voice to one of the ballot clerks, who shall thereupon likewise announce the same, and if such name is found upon the check-list by said ballot clerk, he shall put a check mark against it and again repeat the said name. The voter, unless challenged, shall then be allowed to enter the space inclosed by the guard-rail as above provided. If his vote is challenged, he must not enter until he makes the affidavit now required by law. After he enters the inclosed space, the ballot clerk shall give him one ballot only.

Before the ballot is given to the elector, nineteen[2] states require the election officers to write their names or initials upon the back of the ballot in such a place that it will be seen when the ballot is folded. The usual provision is to require the initials of the judge or clerk having charge of the ballot,[3] but some of the states, as Minnesota[4] or Missouri,[5]

  1. ↑ New Hampshire Laws, 1891, ch. 49, sec. 22.
  2. ↑ Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina (New Hanover County), Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, West Virginia, Delaware, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Nebraska, Texas, Iowa.
  3. ↑ See Hurd, R. S. (Illinois), 1913, ch. 36, sec. 309.
  4. ↑ Minnesota R. L., 1905, ch. 6.
  5. ↑ Missouri R. S., 1909.

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