Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 267, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1912 — MANY VOTES LOST THROUGH IGNORANCE [ARTICLE]

MANY VOTES LOST THROUGH IGNORANCE

Instruction at High School a Good Thing—Many Unintentional Distinguishing Marks. The tabulated returns of >the mock election held at the school house Tuesday is quite Interesting. The high school was divided into precinct?, the senior closs being the first, junior the second, etc. The election was carried on just the same as it was in the official polling places of the county. Election inspectors, judges, clerks and sheriffs filled their proper places. The ballots used were samples supplied by The Republican. All high school pupils voted, the girls as well as the boys. The result of the voting demonstrated two things, that the pupils largely voted as their parents vote on state, national and county issues and that they showed some favors to young men on either ticket. The instruction is a very proper lesson in civil government and it is to the credit of the scholars that scarcely any ballots were spoiled. From all over Jasper county reports came at this election that ballots were lost because the voters did not know how to vote. Many who wanted to vote a straight ticket marked the first square under the main device. By so doing they only voted for the single candidate whose name appeared at the side. The cross should have been inside the circle containing the device of their party. Others voted for two candidates for one office, thereby spoiling their entire ticket. A number placed little circles inside the small squares instead of making small crosses. At least one who wanted to vote his party ticket for all but two candidates, scratched out thqlr names and wrote the names of his preferred candidates over the erasure. No names shall ever be written on the ballot. One ballot showed where the voter had tried te scratch’ out a blue pencil mark after it was made and then v voted for an opposing candidate. This is clearly a distinguishing mark and the ballot was not counted at all. Still another 'filled the small squares with blue, 'blocking each out with great care. He lost his ballot. It is reported that a prominent citizen of this place spoiled his first ballot in trying to vote it, making a mark that he later wanted to remove. He properly returned the ballot to the judges and was' given another. Probably 200 votes in the county were thrown out because of mutilation or distinguishing marks. Probably almost anothei hundred voted only for the first candidate on the ticket instead of voting the entire ticket, evidently through a misunderstanding. In Lake county, where there are a great many foreigners, it is said that large numbers of votes were lost through ignorance of how to vote.