Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 266, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1910 — School Children Instructed In Australian Ballot at Schools. [ARTICLE]

School Children Instructed In Australian Ballot at Schools.

The girls as well as the boys voted at the school house this Tuesday morning. All were given a lesson in civics. Each had been instructed to get a ballot, either "sample, cut from a newspaper, or manufactured by the voter. The ballots were to conform the county and state official tickets. Election boards were appointed, the clerks placed their initials on the backs of the ballots, they were given out and each student, from the grades clear through the high school, were instructed to vote just as he or she would vote if they had the right to cast their preference for their candidates. The writer visited the school soon after the ballots had been cast and through the courtesy of one of the teachers was privileged to look over the ballots of the Bth grade. About fifty ballots were about half of them being county and the other half state, A majority of them were voted straight according to party but probably 25 per cent were mixed. The young people were apparently inclined to vote for their friends without regard to party. Strangely of the fifty votes looked over there was not a mistake made in the voting that would invalidate the ticket and the intention of the voter was clearly distinguishable. The instruction is very profitable and the students all enjoyed it as a diversion in civil government. The votes will all be tabulated and we have been promised a more complete statement from all the classes later.