Page:A History of the Australian Ballot System in the United States.djvu/58

Rh “no,” are added. In Washington and Nebraska the amendments are printed above the list of candidates, while in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and California they are printed in one or more columns at the right of the ballot. In printing constitutional amendments or other questions on the ballot only a brief descriptive title or the substance of the amendments is used. But in Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee the amendment is printed in full.

The common rule is to require an elector voting for or against these amendments to indicate his answer to each proposition separately. Connecticut tries to secure a larger vote on the amendments by introducing the equivalent of the party circle. In this state constitutional amendments are printed in two extra columns; the first of the columns is designated “Yes,” and the second “No.” At the head of each column is printed a circle, and an elector can vote for or against all such propositions by placing a cross in the proper circle. Nebraska and Indiana have introduced the expedient of allowing political parties to take action for or against an amendment and such action is indicated on the ballot. Under the party-circle arrangement, by making a cross in the party circle the elector has his vote counted for or against every indorsed amendment unless he marks the amendments to the contrary.

The stub.–In order to do away with the objection to numbering the ballot and yet make sure that the elector returns the identical ballot given to him, nineteen states provide for a detachable stub. This stub remains on the ballot until presented by the elector for voting; then, after being identified, it is removed without exposing the ballot. This is a very effective way of guaranteeing that the elector votes the same ballot given to him by the ballot clerks, and will detect at once any attempt to remove the ballot from the polling-place.

Another way of enabling the election judges to see that none but official ballots are deposited is the provision for placing an official indorsement on the back of the ballot in such a position that it can be seen when the ballot is folded. This indorsement consists of the words “official