The objections to the Indiana form[1] are: First, the party-column type tends to promote straight party voting and places a penalty on independent action. Secondly, being provided with more than one method of voting, the voter runs the risk, in marking elsewhere than in the party circle, of having his vote misinterpreted. Thirdly, it is possible to tell whether or not a voter is voting straight by the relative amount of time he takes to mark his ballot. Fourthly, the use of the party column, circle, and emblem is a concession and appeal to the illiterate and ignorant voter. Fifthly, the multiplication of columns, titles, and blank spaces increases the size of the ballot and makes it an “unwieldy monstrosity.”
The defense of the Indiana form is based on the assumption that most electors desire to vote a straight ticket and that this system is a convenience to facilitate voting.[2] The fact that most American voters were accustomed to seeing all of a party’s nominees in a single column, and to voting a whole party ballot at a single operation, explains the success of this form. Because of its appeal to party loyalty the party column is favored by the professional politicians because they are sure of a larger party vote.
A different form of the ballot has been used in two counties of Wisconsin. This is the coupon ballot which was invented by Mr. Moncena Dimn. This coupon ballot consists of a number of differently colored sheets of cardboard stapled together. The Republican ticket is printed on green paper; the Democratic, on red, etc. Although the colors must not be the same, the law authorizes the chairmen of the state central committees of the several parties to select the colors. Individual nominations are printed on white paper. Each ticket is divided by perforated lines into as many coupons as there are offices to be filled, all the candidates for presidential electors being placed on one coupon. Each coupon bears the name of an office, a number, the candidate’s name, and his party designation. All coupons for any office, as, for example, that of sheriff, which is No. 12, have the same number regardless of the party ticket.
To illustrate the manner of voting under this scheme, let us suppose that John Doe wishes to vote for all the Republican nominees. He detaches the entire Republican sheet, and places it inside the official ballot folder. Richard Roe wants to vote a Democratic ticket for all the offices except that of sheriff. He detaches the entire Democratic sheet
