1892.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 43. 5 



ter 380, acts of 1890, should be mtide mandatory. Such 

 appointments are now implied by the provisions of chapter 

 328, acts of 1891. 



The compensation of election officers and tellers should be 

 such as will command the services of those best qualitied to 

 serve ; complaint has been made that proper compensation 

 is not always provided. 



Town Clerks on Registration Boards. 



Attention has been called to the provisions of law which 

 require town clerks, as members of appointive ])oards of reg- 

 istrars of voters, to be partisans ; it would seem advisable 

 that in such cases the town clerks should cease to be mem- 

 bers, but should continue to be clerks of such boards. 



Marking Ballots. 



The provisions of law relative to the arrangement of the 

 names of, and the marking for, candidates for electors of 

 president and vice-president of the United States should be 

 amended so as to require less space on the ballots, and so 

 that one X mark will be counted a vote for a group of tifteen 

 electors. 



Attention has been called to the finding of marks on ballots 

 which have the appearance of having been made while they 

 were beino; counted, and it has been sus^gested that some 

 peculiar pencil, stamp or punch be furnished for the use of 

 voters in the marking of ballots, so that the voter's choice 

 can be so indicated as to prevent others changing it. 



Apparatus for Counting. 

 In accordance with the provisions of cha})ter 328, acts of 

 1891, a number of ditferent kinds of apparatus intended for 

 use in the count and canvass of votes have been examined by 

 the secretary, treasurer and auditor, none of which were 

 deemed to meet the requirements of law. There are several 

 machines to which attention has been called since the last 

 state election, one of which is intended to dispense w^ith the 

 use of ballots, and all of them propose to do the counting and 

 tabulating of the votes as each vote is cast ; and it is suggested 

 that a committee be authorized to inquire into the merits of 



