PRACTICABILITY OF SECRET VOTING.
TO THE EDITOR OE THE SrEC T, TOIL. TO THE EDITOR OE THE SrEC T, TOIL.
15:11 .Tone 1555. Sin—In your Number for June Gth, I perceive at the close of your excellent remarks en the Ballot debate, a complaint that TM machinery that would insure secret voting was forthcoming as a practical refutation of the assertion that it was impossible to construct such machinery ; I therefore beg to call your atten- tion to the following plan, published in the Sunderland licntld of :May illOth. " I. Let Government prepare a number of carols of a porous fabric, bearing some device that shall be varied at each General Election.
" 2. Let every Returning 011icer, on receiving the writ for a new election, make a certified report to Government of the number of electors registered to vote under his inspection, and receive, ill return, the saute number of election cards. ":3. After the nomination of the candidates, if there be a contest, let the Returning, Officer cause the names of all the caniliolates to be distinctly printed in alphabetical order, one above the other, on each card. " 4. Let a small apartment, lighted in such a manner that it cannot be seen into when closed, be provided at each polling-booth, and furnished with pens, ink, &c. and a welhsecured box with a niche in its lid. " a. When an elector comes to the poll, and has proved his identity and qua- lification as at present required, let the Itettirning Officer, or his deputy, give him an election card.
" I,. Let the elector alone enter the ruling• room, and having there drawn a pen through the names of the candidates he objects to, let lam put Lis card into the vote-box.
" 7. At the termination of the period of voting, let the vote-boxes be publicly opened by the Returning Officer, and the votes, as shown by the names un- marked, counted in the presence of the candidates or their respective friends. " To prevent any unfairness on the part of the Returning Officer, or his de-
put 11:.• nont:ner of the voters may be counted as they come to the poll, and
each , :suer re:la:tied under a heavy penalty publicly to produce, before opening the +, • • !•!• e, as many spare election cards as there are electors temaining un- pol! l,is division:"
:•, roils blink the card is for avoillhuz blotting ; the "device" is
+0 a.. feteerv. The rvil of the Anita icatt music of ballot is, as I understand
t • •-it ye.er brines a list of name, with hint to the poll, which list is tit-t of sollic patty tAcrcising an improper influence on the
',•; ! ...I very often has tit put into his hand as lie goes to the
- • .1 to heel) it in sight of the party giving it, mail it 1, put into v.• old lie avoided by the 111111 prop( sof, which :WOW: to COM- !..1 I. !;•i't .-:1-tcry; and with the littoo,t ficility, be ,nb- • ,t -•■••toi!■ of gouge noliiry, which, as I 1111,:lf have ',TU.
!!,, 0 III.; Tait tyreinng• 1,1w, Sir, your
I"'• ta.0-11.w.car.
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