News from Edna’s Day Series 1#
I am beginning a new series of articles featuring news Edna’s parents and Edna Purviance herself read during their lifetime in Nevada and beyond. You may find it interesting, that the same concerns they had, are similar to ours today. With many elections happening this year, I will begin with an article about the early use of voting machines.
December 27, 1894
Silver State - Nevada
The Voting Machine
"The new constitution of New York permits the use of voting machines, several of which have been successfully tested in the western part of the state. These machines are built on the cash register principle. The names of the candidates are printed on the push buttons, and the buttons are arranged in rows of different colors, representing the various parties.
The voter pushes the button bearing the name of the candidate for whom he desires to vote, and his vote is recorded. An ignorant voter can vote straight by simply pushing the buttons of the color representing his party.
It is estimated that although New York City would require 1000 of these machines at $250 each, the city would save $100,000 annually on the cost of elections by using them. They would do away with poll clerks and with tickets, besides preventing fraud, and would guarantee accuracy in the count.
The voting machine is the ideal ballot box. It cannot be stuffed, and its computations are unfailing. If it should come into general use the returns of elections would be received early in the evening, instead of late at night."
Note: This article was released about one year before Edna Purviance was born.
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