he names of candidates are
alphabetically arranged, so that there can be no accusation of giving
one party or candidate precedence as to position on the ticket. In a
few cases, the name of the party to which the candidate belongs does
not appear on the ballot at all, but only the name of the office for
which he has been nominated; but in most cases the name of each party
is printed either at the head of the ticket or opposite the name of
each candidate, or in both places.

Where _individual ballots_ are used, a separate ballot is printed for
each party or independent ticket.

VOTING.--Special sworn clerks are engaged to distribute these ballots
to voters at the polls.

The voter is allowed a limited time--say five or ten minutes--to retire
into an election booth erected for the purpose, to make his choice of
candidates or ballots. If the blanket ballot is in use, he does this
by placing a cross opposite the name of the desired candidate or list
of candidates; or by crossing out all others; or by means of pasters
for the substitution of names. If individual ballots are provided, he
selects the one he prefers, or corrects it to his liking by pasting
upon it a single name or an entire ticket. If he prefers, he may write
the names of candidates of his own nomination in place of those already
printed. He, then, without communicating with any one, deposits his
ballot as his vote. Only one man is allowed to enter a booth at a
time, and none but the ballot clerks and the man about to deposit his
ballot are allowed within the enclosure erected for the purpose.

In some States the booths are separated one from the other merely by
partitions, as indicated in the cut, page 181; but in other States each
booth is a separate compartment with a door, which is closed to prevent
even a suspicion of any external observation.

[Illustration: (Page 181) Arrangement of polling place as required by
Massachusetts law.]

In many States, assistance is rendered to the illiterate or the blind.
In some cases, in order to aid those who can not read, each party
adopts a device, as an eagle or a flag, which is printed on the ballot.
In most States a voter who declares that he can not read, or that by
some physical disability he is unable to mark his ballot, may receive
the assistance of one or two of the election officers in marking it.

Every ballot must be strictly accounted for. If any person in
preparing a ballot should spoil it, he