Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1899 — A VOTING MACHINE HERE. [ARTICLE]

A VOTING MACHINE HERE.

C. Cochran of Jamestown, N. Y., and J. M, McGee, State agent of Indianapolis, were here this week to exhibit the United States voting machine, which is manufactured at Jamestown, N. Y. This machine is of the push-but-ton plan and seems to fill all of the requirements of the late law on that subject. This is the machine recently purchased by Boone county, this state for use there. Owing to the fact that a great many of The Democrat readers did not have an opportunity to see this machine and examine it, a short description of it will not be inappropriate. As the voter approaches the machine there is an iron bail or t#n-stile at his left. This bail is about the length of a common half window and is covered with a curtain. The voter seizes this in his left hand and pulls it to after him, which movement hides his form from view and brings him face to face with the machine. The face of the machine is about 2x4 feet and is covered with knobs or pushbuttons, looking much like the switch-board of a telegraph or telephone office, one button for each candidate. On the left by the party emblem is a large button which when pushed in turns the mechenicism for the straight ticket. “Scratching” is then done by pulling out the button of the “victim” to be “knifed” and either pushing in the button of some other candidate for whom the voter desires to vote, or leaving the button out and not voting at all for that particular candidate. By pulling out all the buttons and leaving them out the voter votes a blank. On leaving the booth the voter swings the turn-stile outward into the position in which he found it. This movement registers his vote as cast. The two Judges of opposite politics each have a key to the machine and neither can unlock it in the absence of the other. Before the voting begins the judges turn down the cap from the top and securely lock the lever which covers the face of the counting wheels. After the voting is over the top is unlocked, the lever moved'back, disclosing the total vote of each candidate in plain figures on the counting wheels. “’The result can be announced as soon as the clerks can take down the figures asTead from the machine by the judges, or inspector and judges, a matter of hut a very few minutes.

One thing is certain, the voting machine insures an honest election and a fair count. There are no mutilated ballots, no man loses his vote and there are no contested ballots to grumble over. In this respect the machine is a grand and most gratifying success. There seems to be no way of “stuffing the ballot box,” as it is impossible to vote for more than one candidate for the same office, neither can a voter “repeat” unless the election board would allow him access to the machine twice. A voter cannot lose his vote by mutilation or otherwise and is sure to have it counted as cast, which is done in perfect secrecy. These machines cost S6OO each, and by their use the precincts can be doubled up. The capacity of each machine is 999. The advisability of purchasing voting machines for Jasper county under the present condition «*of its financial affairs is a matter for the commissioners to determine.

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