| Show Only 49 per cent of df Voters Went to toy I Polls in 19 1920 O. O What per cent 1924 I A safe prediction for the approaching approaching ap- ap election is that there willbe will be decidedly more voters than in 1920 This may mean that a larger proportion of voters Is taking lt its balloting duties seriously Or I may mean that the contest Is su exciting to arouse even apathetic stay at voters At any rate there is no doubt that the League of Women Voters and other organizations have been crusading strenuously to get 75 per cent of the tho I possible voting strength to the polls poll I November 4 and aud earl early returns indicate in- in 10 1 that the voting voUn gures may exceed that percentage A presidential election Is always considered an event of national interest interest in- in terest and yeti yet it if the number of popular votes cast means anything less than halt half the country was Vas actively actively ac- ac interested in the last big con con- test Only i 49 9 per cent of time eligible eligible eligi- eligi ble voters took part in the selection of President Harding The other othel 51 per rent rent-or more than eligible voters failed to cast their ballots There are plenty plent more startling election figures for those who care caro for statistics Senator Pepper of at Pennsylvania was elected by vote the the the- or of per cent of Pennsylvania qualified voters Senator Reed of h same state was elected b by pOt per cent In 1922 three thirty sta states tt t elected governors and only about j one third or of the voters oters toe tock k pa pat t it making the Amendments to state have lUl been few Cow S S. flO passed by as as po cent of the voters Such figures can anI only he be in t r ted to mean that the count country rj y ed by the minority In some some acct c tons time Hie result slight might be the s ii e sta st. r. 1 l 4 tt bier f f t t r CI elections ns the non voters rs might have hac changed the course of at history especially in local contests contest In an any case the ballots are often otten numerous enough to hold the thu balance of power POWel Most of the people who stay star away 1 from the polls lolls do so through ferenee ference They have ha never realized In an any vivid way y the old truism that thEir ballots are their only real hol holon hole on the government This type or of voter sees no use in casting his vote vot ir if his favored candidate is likely to win and he thinks it hopeless to vote ote it If the man lie he prefers apparently has no chance ch nce o of success HI lUg Slump in Recent Y ns Probably vcr very few people realize how interest in voting slumped Inthe In Inthe the fifty years rears preceding 1920 We think of at ourselves toda today as being far more closely in touch with national national na- na affairs than the people of the seventies se Our system of communication communication cation Is a marvel or of efficiency moving mo picture n news newsreels ws r reels els magazine magazino articles and this fhe radio make malte tho political nominees familiar figures Fast trains enable speakers to reach personally many more more- voters more oters than In the tho dim and distant seventies All of these modern factors figured figurel figur- figur el ed in the 1920 1920 presidential election radio And yet et about 64 per percent cent of at the voters took part is in the 18 1570 O election whereas the 1920 broke the record rec rd for time tIlt smallest vote so far as the ler percentage percent percent- ent- ent age of voters Is concerned Miss Julia JuHa Lathrop sees a fine precedent in the first election held heid heidin in western New York There were qualified lu voters In the county count she says lUll and all but nine cam cans over rough roads or through Unbroken un- un broken country to vote at at The election seemed so Important to 94 per cent or of the voters that they made whatever sacrifices were necessary In order to 10 cast their ballots This spIrit has not been u- u Otis ous in elections for some y years rs This year ear however there thero are signs signa that Indicate that it may be grad ally coming back Mrs Irs Ann Webster of the League of at Women Voters tells a story of three dressed well women near her at luncheon in New York They had spent the entire morning trying to register In order to vote and it seemed se to then that lire life was made pretty hard for the would would-be voter oter They had hadeen been een directed from one section of I Ithe the city y to another and they had walked at least a mile about th the streets And you didn't give up up asked Mrs Irs Webster Oh no they said Of course we e want to vote The campaign to get out at least 75 per cent of the voters on oh electIon election elec- elec tIon day was started by y the League of Women Voters in 1922 The hl league had taken upon Itself the task of helping the new women rot VOt- ems to vote Intelligently AttackIng Attack Attack- lug Ing the problem from an unpartisan standpoint the league was busy supplying women with all sorts 0 of political information when it was discovered that possibly ly 50 per cent of the women voters like SO 50 per percent percent cent of the men voters were not notto aroused to the importance of at casting cast cast- lag ing a ballot and having a share in inthe inthe the administration ot of the govern govern- ment The league gue began at once to tos s stir Ir up the indifferent women voters yot- yot I ers and It if possible e aonie of time the indifferent In- In different men voters too and nova co political workers of all sorts are on the trail of the unused ballot Novel Xo Publicity Stunts league has sponsored clever ideas to attract ct voters and f them exactly hoW to pro pro- J eed The idea of putting tags on oni i m bottles bottles' t nn an entire city on reg- reg re s ration dal day in ord order 1 to l le to register has las roved proved fa far thiS This year ear one of the stunts tried triEd was the tagging or of children Each child was g give Yn Y- Y n e a large red tag to weal lea lathed Ie-ched Ie to th red red circle was z mall nall fla flap bearing the Cu s- s on Wm Will our parents vote on ond d r 4 4 T le lisle ine vv n of J 1 to consult his p parents rents and If possible to wear the tae with th the flap torn off of showing the ans answer fu U Uthe the question Yes they ther will In Toledo restaurant waitresses were asked to remind patrons of at their registration duties ditties on that important im- im important im- im morning Politics even invaded a 3 number of county fairs this year rear and the booth where information could be obtained regarding the registration tion procedure ure proved prO an attraction which could hold its own against time Ow go merr-go- round the races and the prize vegetables In a Nebraska town people were I entertained between be- be e- e tween sporting events by small bo boy sandwich men wearing signs about voting i Encouraging returns from tit til campaign to get et out the veto la Bova I been coming in n ever since the IH manes maries In the Illinois primaries the veto m I Iwas was per cent cent larger than in 1920 In 1 Minnesota Jin there thereas was as a j 27 per cent increase West Virginia with a favorite son in the field Is taking a strong interest in the com conn- ing and the primaries showed show show- i ed a 65 per cent increase in hi rotors over oyer 1920 The fhe Ohio primaries I 4 show hoW an an increase of 63 6 per cent I This Is especially significant of the I growing interest in voting because or of the fact that in 1920 Ohio had I two of its own OWl sons running fot fa president I holds the record 01 or t the e I greatest Interest in the primary vote however 77 per cent Other states states are reporting Increases of from 20 per cent up As t tia primary primar returns are always less Jess than the election day vote rote the outlook for fora a record breaking and ote not a alow alow low record like that of 19 is 1920 is 0 regarded regarded re- re as gO good I Y- Y |
