HOW TO EVADE THE BALLOT.
rno TILE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR:] -SIR,—You take an itsterest in the Ballot, perhaps you might like -to hear how it has been evaded sometimes here in Australia.
At the opening of the poll, the election agent sends in a voter, whom he has supplied with a blank piece of paper, folded so as to resemble a folded ballot-paper. Having this in his pocket, the voter goes in, receives his ballot-paper, and passes on into the private box. There, instead of marking out any candidates' names, he puts the voting-paper in his pocket and takes out the blank paper, which he carries to the ballot-box and drops through the slit. He then comes out, and gives to the agent the unmarked ballot-paper. The agent at once scratches out the names of hostile candidates, folds up the paper, and gives it to a second voter, who passes in, acts with this paper as the first voter had acted with the blank paper, and brings out to the agent another clean ballot-paper. This goes on throughout the day, and when the poll is about closing, the agent goes in himself, gets his own voting-paper, and of course is able to drop two into the ballot-box, thus saving again the vote which he lost when he sent in only a blank sheet.
I think you will agree with me that this is rather ingenious. Whether the plan was invented here I do not know, but I am told that it has been worked here sometimes.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Previous page
