Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1900 — A primary Electton Law. [ARTICLE]

A primary Electton Law.

A male adult citizen, who has lived in the State 180, in the township 60, and precinct 30 days can vote at an election if, “he shall have been duly registered according to law.” Con. Art. 2, Sec. 2. Ist. A primary election law should be based on non-partisan precinct registration, petition, ballots, voting, counting and certification. The method should be uniform throughout the state as to time and manner. All parties can select their nominees at the same time for any county, township, city or town election.

2nd. The • registration Board should consist of five persons, towit: One Inspector, 2 Judges, and 2 Clerks, not more than three of said persons to belong to any party This Board should be paid from the county, town or city treasury, and have power to register voters, and to receive, count, and certify results at a sitting, to be held at such time before an election as the law might prescribe. The respective election commissioners for the county, city or town shall have power to print tickets, containing the names of all candidates for nomination for all parties that may desire to contest any election. No name shall appear on said ticket unless accompanied with a petition signed by, say 6 per cent, of the voters of a township or town, 3 per cent, of the voters of a city or county. In printing the names of candidates, they shall appear in each precinct or ward in the order of the number of petitioners therefrom. 3rd. These tickets should be furnished at the. expense of the county town or city to the Inspector of each precinct or ward before the day set for. the registration, and be preserved, distributed, counted and certified with the same care as at a general election.. 4th. Primary Election Day, and registration shall take place 8 weeks before the general elections in any precinct or ward. .sth. When a voter shall have registered, the Inspector shall band ticket whereupon he shall retire to an election booth and designate the names of those he desires to be nominated for each office, to be voted for at the election for such town, city township or county. The township and county can be held together. 6th. The registration Board will immediately certify to the Election, Commissioners the number of votes cast for each person on each party ticket. 7th. The Election Commissioners of each county, town or city shall certify the nominees. In case of a tie, the members of the proper Board shall cause a decision to be made by lot. In case an officer is to he nominated for a district composed of more than one county, the sheriffs of said counties shall meet in the oldest county to collate the returns from the counties, and to compare the result in the district. The registration could be completed for the election four weeks prior thereto A primary election law based on these principles would entirely absolve the

citizen of any other duty than to become a Voter and help to prepare the ticket for the party of his choice. No man would thus be required openly to declare his politics. In the opinion of the writer, state and national conventions must be held as per o utline printed in Senate Journal, 1889, pages 341 to 349. S. P. Thompson, Rensselaer, Ind. November, 29, 1900