Ballot Reform: Need of Simplification

Extract

The general subject of this conference is ballot reform. A more accurate title would be Reform of the Methods of Popular Control of Government, and my topic becomes The Need of Simplification of the Method of Popular Control.

The theory of an election, I take it, is somewhat as follows: It is known that on a certain day the people are to select an officer to perform on their behalf certain duties and to hold certain powers. The office is made desirable by reason of the salary and honor and power attached to it. Various aspirants for the place come before the public by one method or another, make known their qualifications for the office, explain the policies which they desire to put into effect through the power attached to that office, and the voters go to the polls on election day and indicate on the ballot which of the aspirants they prefer.