Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1890 — COUNTING THE BALLOTS. [ARTICLE]

COUNTING THE BALLOTS.

It is important that election boards carefailly observe the provision of law requiring disputed ballots to be preserved. All unvoted ballots and all undisputed ballots that have been voted are to be burned as soon as counted, but all disputed ballots are to be preserved. This, of course, is for future revision and verification, and for use in case of contest. There will doubtless be a considerable number of disputed or doubtfu! ballots. Many mistakes will be made in stamping tickets, especially by persons attempting to vote a mixed ticket, which will raise doubts as to how the ballot should be counted, and end in their being preserved as disputed ballots.

It is important to understand that the election board has no right to throw out a ballol or &ny part of a ballot, except under the following provision: In the canvass of the votes any ballot which is not indorsed witp the initials of the poll-clerks, and any ballot which shall bear any distinguishing mark or mutilation shall be void and shall not be counted, and nny ballot or part of a ballot from which it is impossible to determine the elector’s choice of candidates, shall not be counted as to the candidate or candidates affected thereby. Under this provision a person who votes a ballot which the poll clerk has accidentally failed to indorse with hie initials will lose his vote, as the law makes such a ballot absolutely void; and a per-

son who., makes a . mistake ,in scratching may lose his vote as to the particular candidate affected by the mistake. But these two 'cases and that of a distinguishing mark on the ballot are the only ones in which the election board has a right to throw out a ballot, either in whol o or in part. Their disciVticn in this regard is very limited. The law evidently contemplates -that all ballots which are not void, but merely doubtful, shall be counted one way or the other, and included in the tally sheet. Doubtful or disputed ballots are not to be thrown out or laid aside for future counting, but are to be counted and preserved for use in case of contest They may be passed over informally till the end of the count, but must then be up and decided one way or •'i f lx- x-s IhalloHs not absolutely void for [o.'p* nf H-.c reasons above indicated, ill..- ; Em board to R“cmtiib t u e will of the voter, as ”• 'uj v aa p >s;iil>Te, and give effect toil.

At a w .rd election held under the new law a few months ago in Vinconnes, 263 votes were arbitarily thrown .out for\ alleged defects. If these alleged defects " eon s ist cd of any thing else but failure of the'poll clerk to endorse his initials on the back of the ballot or in the act of the voter in putting a distinguishing mark on his ballot, the board acted without authority. It is the duty of an election board to treat as valid every ballot that is not plainly yoid*ilflder the law, and to go as far as passible in ascertaining and giving effect to the will of the voter.