370 
Indiana University 
Democratic 
Office 
Num- 
Candi- 
Unop- 
Maior- 
Plural- 
ber 
dates 
posed 
ity 
ity 
United States Senator 
2 
2 
2 
2 
Governor 
2 
2 
2 
2 
State Auditor 
2 
2 
2 
2 
Representative to Congress .... 
8 
8 
8 
8 
Countv Offices 
181 
239 
141 
170 
11 
State Representative 
302 
323 
278 
298 
4 
State Senators 
62 
64 
58 
62 
Total 
559 
640 
491 
544 
15 
Total Republican and Democratic 
1,118 
1,523 
782 
1,015 
103 
Percentages 
69.95 
90.79 
9.21 
It is significant to note from the above table (VII) that 
the average number of candidates for the Republican positions 
in the two primary elections was 1.4, for the Democratic posi- 
tions slightly more than 1.1 while 69.95 per cent of the posi- 
tions were filled by unopposed candidates. A comparison of 
the above results, under the primary system, with the num- 
ber of candidates running under the convention system, based 
upon newspaper reports, indicates that the change to the pri- 
mary has had little or no effect in Maine upon the number of 
candidates running for office. The number of candidates run- 
ning in each instance seems to have been determined by fac- 
tors other than the nominating system. 
The third question is brought up for consideration, because 
one of the usual objections made against the direct primary is 
that it substitutes plurality for majority nomination. In 
theory that is undoubtedly a weakness. But how has it worked 
in practice? An analysis of the primary returns of 1922 and 
1924 shows that out of 1,118 positions filled by the two par- 
ties in the primaries 1,015 were nominated by a majority vote, 
that is 90.79 per cent received a majority of the votes cast.®^ 
An examination of the nominations of 96 senators from 
Androscoggin, Cumberland, and Penobscot counties from 
1912 to 1922 shows that 94 were nominated by a majority 
and only 2 by a plurality vote. An examination of the nomi- 
nations of 188 county officers for the same counties over the 
same period shows 149 nominated by a majority vote and 39 
by plurality vote. It seems fair to conclude, therefore, that 
See Table VI, above. 
