In the early days a ballot was simply a piece of paper with the names of the candidates written or printed on it.As party organizations became more ambitious, the party printed its own ballots, and "scratching" was done by pasting gummed stickers, with the names of the substitutes printed on them, over the regular ballot, or by simply striking out a name and writing another one in its place.It was customary to print the different party tickets on different colored paper, so that the judges in charge of the ballot boxes could tell how the men voted.When later laws required all ballots to be printed on white paper and of the same size, the parties used paper of different texture.
Election officials could then tell by the "feel" which ticket was voted.Finally paper of the same color and quality was enjoined by some States.But it was not until the State itself undertook to print the ballots that uniformity was secured.
In the meantime the peddling of tickets was a regular occupation on election day.Canvassers invaded homes and places of business, and even surrounded the voting place.It was the custom in many parts of the country for the voters to prepare the ballots before reaching the voting place and carry them in the vest pocket, with a margin showing.This was a sort of signal that the voter's mind had been made up and that he should be let alone, yet even with this signal showing, in hotly contested elections the voter ran a noisy gauntlet of eager solicitors, harassing him on his way to vote as cab drivers assail the traveler when he alights from the train.This free and easy method, tolerable in sparsely settled pioneer districts, failed miserably in the cities.It was necessary to pass rigorous laws against vote buying and selling, and to clear the polling-place of all partizan soliciting.Penal provisions were enacted against intimidation, violence, repeating, false swearing when challenged, ballot-box stuffing, and the more patent forms of partizan vices.In order to stop the practice of "repeating," New York early passed laws requiring voters to be duly registered.But the early laws were defective, and the rolls were easily padded.In most of the cities poll lists were made by the party workers, and the name of each voter was checked off as he voted.It was still impossible for the voter to keep secret his ballot.The buyer of votes could tell whether he got what he paid for; the employer, so disposed, could bully those dependent on him into voting as he wished, and the way was open to all manner of tricks in the printing of ballots with misleading emblems, or with certain names omitted, or with a mixture of candidates from various parties--tricks that were later forbidden by law but were none the less common.
Rather suddenly a great change came over election day.In 1888Kentucky adopted the Australian ballot for the city of Louisville, and Massachusetts adopted it for all state and local elections.The Massachusetts statute provided that before an election each political party should certify its nominees to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.The State then printed the ballots.All the nominees of all the parties were printed on one sheet.Each office was placed in a separate column, the candidates in alphabetical order, with the names of the parties following.Blank spaces were left for those who wished to vote for others than the regular nominees.This form of ballot prevented "voting straight" with a single mark.The voter, in the seclusion of a booth at the polling-place, had to pick his party's candidates from the numerous columns.
Indiana, in 1889, adopted a similar statute but the ballot had certain modifications to suit the needs of party orthodoxy.Here the columns represented parties, not offices.Each party had a column.Each column was headed by the party name and its device, so that those who could not read could vote for the Rooster or the Eagle or the Fountain.There was a circle placed under the device, and by making his mark in this circle the voter voted straight.
Within eight years thirty-eight States and two Territories had adopted the Australian or blanket ballot in some modified form.
It was but a step to the state control of the election machinery.
Some state officer, usually the Secretary of State, was designated to see that the election laws were enforced.In New York a State Commissioner of Elections was appointed.The appointment of local inspectors and judges remained for a time in the hands of the parties.But soon in several States even this power was taken from them, and the trend now is towards appointing all election officers by the central authority.These officers also have complete charge of the registration of voters.
In some States, like New York, registration has become a rather solemn procedure, requiring the answering of many questions and the signing of the voter's name, all under the threat of perjury if a wilful misrepresentation is made.
So passed out of the control of the party the preparation of the ballot and the use of the ballot on election day.Innumerable rules have been laid down by the State for the conduct of elections.The distribution of the ballots, their custody before election, the order of electional procedure, the counting of the ballots, the making of returns, the custody of the ballot-boxes, and all other necessary details, are regulated by law under official state supervision.The parties are allowed watchers at the polls, but these have no official standing.
