Several States have been experimenting for some time with various forms of ballots, Wis consin using a coupon ballot, while in Cam bridge, Mass., and Grand Junction, Col, a preferential ballot has been used so that a voter could express a °first choice,'" °second choice 1) and °other choices." In the Oregon primary elections a candidate may place after his name a concise statement of his principles. The initiative and referendum in many States are making the ballots still more complex and confusing. In 1912 the Oregon ballot con tained the names of 177 nominees for 44 National, State, and local offices, besides 37 legislative projects, 14 of which involved amendments to the State Constitution. In many States voting machines (q.v.) are used.
Short It is apparent that some method must be adopted to make the ballot short and simple and also to keep the processes determining its content and arrangement under the control of the voters and not of irrespon sible party managers. It is inevitable that blind voting will occur when the ballot contains, as in some instances, 500 names.
As regards the use of the short ballot in cities, the question of government by commis sion is involved. Under this form of govern ment the mayor and a large council of numerous divided powers are replaced by a small com mission. In New Jersey it would apply to county and State. There a small commission having the power of county management is proving its efficiency. The voters of the State elect a governor and a bicameral legislature but do not vote for any other State officer, not even the lieutenant-governor. Thus the re sponsibility for good administration is central ized in one man instead of being scattered arnong a number of elected department heads with divided and conflicting powers. Hence the advocates of the short ballot urge that it be adopted so as to remove all minor offices and some important ones from the ballot, with the object of increasing the accountability of the few men who are elected and also of ing the standard of intelligence of the popular vote. See ELECTIONS ; ELECTORAL VarEs;