Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/275

* VOTER. 227 VOTYAKS. subsequently decide that he had no ripht to vote. See Electokal Rkfoum; Vote. VOTING MACHINE. A mechanical device which autiiiii:i(ic;Llly records and counts votes. Besides preventing repeating and other fraud, an ideal voting niacliine has the additional advan- tages over the paper ballot system of greater secrecy, simplicity, rapidity, and cheapness. The first State law authorizing the use of auto- matic machines was passed by New York in 1892, allowing towns to use the Myers automatic bal- lot cabinet at elections of town ollicers. In 189.'! Michigan and Massachusetts ])erniitted the use of voting machines at local elections, and in 1894 New York authorized their use at all elections. Michigan passed a similar law in 1895, Massa- chusetts in 189G, Jlinnesota in 1897, Ohio in 1898, and Indiana and Nebraska in 1899. During 1900 Rhode Island created a voting machine com- mission to examine machines and make regula- tions for their use by cities and towns. In Iowa the iise of voting machines has been authorized at all elections, and a commission to examine voting machines created. In 1895 Connecticut authorized the use of JIcTammany and Jlycrs machines at local elections. The first perma- nent State voting machine commission was estab- lished in New Y'ork in 1897. Massachusetts and Ohio followed in 1898. In California a consti- tutional amendment adopted by the people allows voting by other means than by ballot. During the Presidential election of 1900, 78 United States voting machines were in use. and they had been used at five preceding annual elections. This machine has the party lines ar- ranged in horizontal rows, the candidates in each row being numbered consecutively. To vote the straight ticket a key is pulled out, but the vote is not registered until the voter swings the gate on the voting machine. Before he swings his gate he can rearrange his ballot to any ex- tent he desires. The Bardirell rotameter consists of a series of sections of interchangeable form, except in the sections designed for the questions 'Yes' and 'No,' or for the 'selective' or 'multiple' votes, which differ only as to the interlocking or safety de- vices. The voter finds before him the complete ballot, and he is at liberty to make any selection of names he sees fit. If he desires to cast a vote for all the nominees of any one party at a single motion, he makes his selection in the 'Straight Ticket' column, and, inserting the key in the hole in the centre of the card bearing the party name, he gives it a turn to the right. This actuates a register at the back. Simultaneously with the turning of the key a blank disk, or indi- cator, located at the right of and one inch from the keyhole changes, and a cross or X appears, indicating his vote. It is now impossible to turn the key in any other hole in that column — that is, to vote for an additional 'Straight Ticket' — and it is likewise impossible to vote for any individual on the chosen ticket or any other ticket. But the 'Optional Column' remains open, and in it the voter is free to make any clioice he may desire. The affirmative and the negative of a question have corresponding keyholes. After having voted the straight ticket and on the questions, all one can now do is to correct any mistakes that become evident upon inspec- tion. If the voter finds that he has turned the key in the wrong hole, he can reinsert the key and by turning it back cancel his vote. He may now make a new choice with the same limita- tions as before. The voter leaves the machine at the opposite end to which he, entered. In passing out he raises a bar, which i-esets the machine and at the same time locks it. The bar at the entrance end of the machine eaimot be raised till the exit bar has been operated, so tliat it is impossible for two to have access to the machine at the same time. The Standard votiny machine is about 4 feet square and 10 inches deep, and is sujiported by legs. The top is a little over feet from the floor. A semicircular bar projects from the upper corners, on which is hung a curtain which forms a booth. An operating lever extends from the centre of the top of the machinis the outer end of which is attached to the curtain. When the voter advances to vote he throws the lever by a depenilcnt handle to the opposite side of the machine, thus carrying the curtain behind him and inclosing himself in a booth. The voter first selects his party ticket, and by ])ulling the straight ticket knob over the party emblem down to the right, moves all the pointers for that ticket. If he desires to split his ticket, he can move the pointer back from over the name that docs not suit him, and in the same office line move the pointer over the name he wishes to vote for. He now registers his vote by throw- ing the curtain open by means of the operating lever with which he closed it, thus casting and counting his vote in perfect secrecy. The Standard machine had its first tri.al April 12, 1898, in a town election. During the Presi- dential election of 1900 it was used in a large number of cities and towns in New Y^ork State, including Bufl'alo, Kochester, Utica, Ithaca, and Poughkeepsie. Consult "The Voting Machine," in Municipal Journal and Engineer (New Y'ork, December, 1900). VOTKINSKY ZAVOD. vdd'ken-ske za-vo.K. An industrial settlement in the Government of Vyatka., East Russia, .380 miles southeast of Vyatka. It has extensive crown iron works and machine shops. There are also manufactures of agricultural machinery and other iron and steel products, and a mining-school. Population, in 1897. 21,000. VO'TYAKS. A Finno-Ugrian tribe, neighbors of the Permiaks, living between the Vetluga and Kama, tributaries of the Volga, in Northeastern Russia. Other groups are found in the gov- ernments of Ufa, Kazan, and Samara. They number about 3(30,000, and are skillful hus- bandmen, stock-breeders, and apiarists. Their height is 1.619 meters and their cephalic index, 82.0. They have high check bones, straight, small nose, small lips, blue or gray eyes, blond or red hair and beard, and a slender, thin-muscled physique. Their intellec- tual culture is undeveloped and they are given to drink. Polygamy is practiced, and, though nominal Christians, they still secretly continue their pagan cult. Their speech is clo.sely allied to that of the Zyrians (q.v. ), and they have some little Russian admixture. Consult: Buch, Die Wotjakcn (Helsingfors. 1882) : De Baye, Xotes stir les Votiaks (Paris, IS97) ;