Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 145, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1913 — CITY GETS MODEL CHARTER [ARTICLE]

CITY GETS MODEL CHARTER

Cleveland, O M Is to Abolish All Party Elections and Have Recall System. Cleveland, O. —Non-partisan elections, with the absolute abolition of political parties, as far as municipal affairs, are concerned, is assured to Cleveland in the terms of the new city charter, which has been completed Experts declare the proposed charter is a model.

Nominations by petition Instead of by primaries and the preferential system of voting in elections are to be leading features of the new governmental, system of the city. It is aimed to simplify election machinery and give the greatest possible expression to the will of the voters, who not only are to have their first choice for each office counted, but their second and other choices aa well. -

The mayor and twenty-six members of the council are the only city officials who are to be elected under the new charter. All the others are appointive. Candidates for the elective positions are to certify their names backed by the signatures of vdters to the board of elections and be placed upon a non-partisan ballot, carrying no party designations of any kind, and on which the names are to be rotated.

There are to be three columns in which cross marks indicating the will of the voter may be made. These will be headed. "First choice,” “Second choice" and "other choices.” Each voter may mark his first and second choice for each office, and then may designate as many ‘other choices” ae he sees fit If no candidate for office receives a majority of the first choice votes, then the second choices are to be counted with the first choices. If no one has a majority of both first and second choices, the "other choices” are to be added, and a majority of all reckoned in determining the victor.

The recall is to apply to all elective officials. The mayor may be recalled upon the petition of 15,000 voters, and a councilman may be recalled upon the petition of 600 of his voting constituents. The mayor and councilman are elected for two-year terms. The mayor is to have the veto, but it is to be nullified to a large extent by the provision that any measure may be passed by the council over the veto by a majority vote. Ordinances may be Initiated by petitions which contain the names of 5,000 voters.