AMERICAN ELECTIONS.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 81, 23 February 1877, Page 2

AMERICAN ELECTIONS.

The Travelling correspondent of the Melbourne Age gives the following interest in^ account of how elections are conducted in the United States :— "In moA states all the vacant offices, including the Presidential election every fourth year, are voted for upon the same day. The officials, including magistrates, supervisors and agents of the two parties, sit in a room, and are communicated with by the voters thronsh a balf-oyenpd window, immediately inside of which me a number of ballot-boxes. In New York there were se^en of these boxes. The first was endorsed Prf sideot No 1, and was for the elrciors of President and VicePresident of the United States. No 2 was general, and was for the candidates for the positions of governor, lienieanl-goyernor. canal commissioner, inspector of State prisons, associate judge of the Conrt of Appeals, mayor, sher ff, clerk, county coroners, justice of the Marine Court jidge of the Supreme Courts snd Surrogate. No 3 was for the represent atives of the disi rict in the Cou«r -ss of the United States. No 4 was for senator of the Suiie Legislature. No 6 was for the cta-e Assembly. No 6 was lor aldermen, aud. No 7 was for amendments io the State constitution, one j fr ai dialling the elective office of canal commissioner, and creating in its stead the office of superintendent of pnblice works to be appointed by the Governor •„ the other, for aboiUking the elective office of inspector of state prisons. Upon a voter making his appearance he was asked his name; after he had given it, if no objection were made, he deposited on the top of each ballot box bis ticket for that box, and it was placed inside by one of | the supervisors. If any person challenged the vote, the presiding magistrate at otice entered upon an investigation, took such evidence as w s produced, and either j allowed the man to rote or rejected his

chin, an! ordered hi a into oarojf for viola ing the election lows. The voting tickets were in every case procured from some of the agents of the Republican or Democratic party who were in attendance outside. No voter was compelled to vole all the tickets. Thus he might if he chose vote for the Presidential electors and them only, or he might, if he chose, rote the State ticket, and lake no notice of the Presidential electors. Any elector wishing to vote a portion of the Republican and a portion of the Democratic ticket could do so by striking off certain names and adding others. In fact, the greatest possible latitude was given to the voter. It is obvious that there ia little or no secrecy about such a ballot. Every voter ran 4 ask for a ticket from one side or the other, and he deposits it on the top of the box in such a manner that every person in the rooai— and tbere are ten or a dozen— can see how he votet. But, on the other band, I can see nomeans by which the ballot could be stuffed, or illegal rotes polled, unless with the consent of all the persons it th» room, and as they include represenUtives of both parties their accord is practically impossible.