Disqualifications. The following persons may not vote in South Dakota : 1. Those who lack any one of the four qualifications. 2. Insane persons or those under guardianship. 3. A soldier of the United States army or sailor of the navy who may be stationed in the state, unless his home was here when he enlisted. A soldier or sailor or any person employed by the United States who leaves the state in the discharge of his duties does not lose his residence but may return home at election time and vote. This is true of a student attending school. 4. "Nor shall any person convicted of treason or felony be qualified to vote at any election unless restored to civic rights."-Art. 7, Constitution. 5. A person convicted upon impeachment charges may be disfranchised (deprived of the right to vote) and disqualified from holding office. 6. An Indian who has not "severed his tribal relations," that is, who still lives on a reservation and is subject to the control of the agency. Such Indians are said to be "wards of the United States," and cannot buy or sell land, cattle, horses, or other property and cannot even kill their own cattle without permission of the agent on the reservation. This guardianship is necessary to protect them. Many of the Indians of South Dakota live in citizen communities and vote and hold property, and many are very prosperous. Challenging. If it is believed that a person who offers to vote is not legally qualified, his right to vote may be challenged by one of the judges or by any other voter. The judges then explain to him the qualifications of a voter. If he declares he is qualified, he may be required to take an oath to that effect and may be required to sign it. A violation of an oath is called perjury and is a penitentiary offense. Canvassing Returns. The polls are open, in general elections, from 8:00 o'clock A. M. until 5:00 P. M. When the polls are closed the judges open the ballot box and publicly count the ballots to see that there are not more ballots than the poll list (list of voters) shows. If several ballots are found folded together they are destroyed. The votes for each candidate are then carefully counted, entered in the poll book, and certified by the judges and clerks. The votes and poll list are put in the ballot box, which is locked and sealed (with white paper seals having the names of the judges) and sent to the chairman of the county commissioners. If the election is for local offices, returns are sent to city council or town board. The key to the box and the poll book are sent to the county auditor. These votes are canvassed by the county auditor and a majority of the county commissioners (or the county treasurer, county judge and one county commissioner, none of whom could have been candidates at the election). The poll books are carefully looked over and a list is made of the votes received for the different candidates in the various polling places of the county. In this way they decide what county officers have been elected. The county auditor makes an abstract, or summary, of the votes cast for various candidates and sends it to the secretary of state (he also sends copies of the abstract of votes for state officers to the governor, and to the presiding judge of the supreme court). The state board of canvassers then add up the votes from the various counties and decide who were elected to those offices which are filled by state-wide election (see Chapter X). Contested Election. If a defeated candidate thinks the votes have been incorrectly counted he may bring action in court to have the ballot boxes opened and the ballots all recounted. The Short Ballot. There are so many candidates for so many offices that the average voter knows very little about any of them. Few men besides professional politicians can name even one-half of the men he has voted for after he has handed his ballot to the election judge, and of that half he knows very little. Because of these conditions there has grown up a strong movement in the United States, supported by a large number of our best statesmen and safest leaders, to elect only those officers who have general administrative powers, having them appoint such officers as have clerical or technical duties. The county commissioners could appoint their own clerk (county auditor), a surveyor, coroner, register of deeds, etc. If we elected only a few officers at a time we would become far more familiar with their qualifications and our elections would be less dependent upon the political "boss" and political "machine,"-the people and not a small group of politicians would choose the officers. "The short ballot principle has been endorsed by every living American writer on political science." Longer Term and Recall. In order that only a few officers be elected at one time it would be far better to have the term of office longer. To prevent the person who is elected for four or six years from misusing his powers, the people should have the right to recall an official,* as is now done in cities under commission (see Chapter XIV). The principles of the short ballot, longer term, and recall will gradually be accepted by our best and most patriotic citizens, and when adopted will prove to be the greatest political change since the principle of government by the people was established in the world. * An exception should be made in case of our higher judges, who should be independent to a very great extent. QUESTIONS. POPULAR ELECTIONS. Why are officers elected for a limited time? POLITICAL PARTIES. What gives rise to political parties? Explain how Washington selected his cabinet. Who became the leaders? What did each advocate? What political parties arose? What foreign nation did each party favor? GROUP ACTION. What influences individuals? Explain. What is meant by the "solidarity of the race''? Explain. NEED FOR POLITICAL PARTIES. Why are political parties needed? What is said of the importance of nominating good candidates for office? INDEPENDENT VOTERS. To what parties do most persons belong? Why? What should be more important than the political party? CAUCUS AND CONVENTION METHOD. What is a caucus? How conducted? What did the county convention do? The state convention? What evils resulted from this method? PRIMARY ELECTION METHOD. Explain the plan of the primary election. What is one defect of this plan? How does a candidate get his name on the ballot? What is done in the June primary election? Give an example like the one in the book. When are primary elections held in March? For what purpose? UNITED STATES SENATE. How are United States senators elected? How are candidates nominated in South Dakota? PRIMARY METHOD UNSATISFACTORY. How has the law of 1907 worked? THE CAMPAIGN. What committees do political parties have? What is said as to the conduct of campaigns? POLLING PLACES. What is a polling place? What polling places must be provided in each county? JUDGES OF ELECTION. How many? How chosen? How many clerks? BALLOTS. Who provides ballots? What do the ballots contain? How many ballots are furnished each precinct? METHOD OF VOTING. Describe the method of voting. Explain how a blind voter may be assisted. QUALIFICATIONS OF ELECTORS. Name the four qualifications of a voter. At what elections may women vote in WOMAN SUFFRAGE. South Dakota? TIONS DISQUALIFICATIONS. Name the six classes of persons who may not vote. CHALLENGING. When may a person's vote be challenged? By whom? What is done then? CANVASSING RETURNS. When are the polls opened? How are the ballots counted? What is done with the ballots and poll list? Who canvasses the votes for the county? For the state? CONTESTED ELECTION. Explain what is meant. |