VOTING MACHINE. The wave of bal lot reform which swept over the United States of America immediately after the year 1888 firmly established the Australian or blanket ballot as a factor in the election of practically all the States of the 'United States of America. This ballot was intended to encourage freedom of choice on the part of the voters and while it seemingly makes it easy to split the ticicet (or to cast an independent ticicet) it ofttimes dis franchises the voter because of his mistake in marking it. The introduction of the Aus tralian ballot opened the way for voting tna chines and demonstrated the need of them. The voting machine is a mechanical Australian bal lot, having for its object the correcting and preventing of the abuses to which the Australian ballot system is susceptible and expediting the returns. It accords to each voter his full vot ing privilege; it prevents him from malcing mistakes that would talce his ballot out of com pliance with the law, and makes it unnecessary for the judges to inspect the ballot to deter mine its legality. The machine counts the bal lot for each candidate at once, malcing it a part of the total vote. When a vote is cast, the op erating devices are automatically reset and the machine is again ready for operauon by an other voter. Machines include safeguards against frauds by election officers. They malce it more easy for the voter to accomplish his work and prevent him, to a great extent, from making a partial or complete failure in young. The use of them compels secrecy, reduces the amount of labor involved on the part of elec tion boards, secures greater economy in the expenses of election and gives the returns at once on the closing of the polls.
The Requisites of a Complete and Legal Voting Machine.— A voting machine must enable a voter to cast his vote in secret; that is, so that no one can see or know for whom he has voted. The method of voting must be simple and within the comprehension of all classes; so that illiterate or blind persons, after receiving instruction, can vote without assist ance. It must be convenient in its operation.
It must permit a voter to vote for all the can didates nominated by any party, or to vote in part for the candidates of one party and in part .for the candidates of other parties and provide for voting for persons who are not nonunated by any party for any office. It must give the voter perfect freedom in his selection from any of the candidates without regard to their position on the machine. For some offices, but one candidate is to be voted for, for others two or more may be nominated by each party. It must be beyond the power of the voter to vote for more persons than he is entitled to vote for, or to vote twice. It must permit a voter to change his vote or correct a mistake, while he is in the booth; to split his electoral vote; voting on questions; limited or restricted voters (females or others) to exercise their rights under the law, but not to exceed them, either for candidates or questions. It must count, positively and accurately, every vote cast. It must prevent defective ballots. The counters should be so placed that they can be _conveniently examined before and after the election. All the moving parts should be con trolled by locks, so that the register of the vote shown on the counters cannot be changed, thus maintaining a permanent record during the time prescribed by law. The voting machine must be so constructed that it cannot be unlawfully manipulated by anyone, under conditions that prevail in elections legally conducted. It must be able to bear the most rigid scrutiny of ex pert mechanics and others qualified to judge of the merits of such mechanism. There must be simple and positive action of the working parts, which must be so related that if mis placed by the voter either by accident or de sign, no injury will result from the further operation of the machine.