Newport Votes: Counting the 1908 Primary Until 8 A.M.
Returns trickle in from 40 of 52 precincts as Newport's 200 ballots take all night to count — 160 Republican, 30 Democratic, 10 Socialist, with many Democrats simply voting the other party's ticket.
Returns are coming in slow from state and county. The direct primary law of Washington had its first real test on Tuesday and in the main has been found satisfactory. It is thought that activity in connection with the primary method is confined largely to the majority party; that minority parties did not have a full ticket, and hence many Democrats throughout the state called for and voted the Republican ballots, in direct conflict with the intent of the law, which contemplates that each party vote should be separate, and provides separate tickets for each party for that purpose.
Returns from the state are slow in coming in, as the ballots required a long time to count, and there are many out-of-the-way precincts in a state like this. It will be several days before the state ticket can safely be named, but at present it seems Cosgrove will get the nomination for governor, by a combination of first and second choice votes. In the Third congressional district Boise Dexter seems to be in the lead. In the expression of preference for U.S. senator, Wesley L. Jones, of North Yakima, has without doubt carried the state by a majority against Levi Ankeny, of Walla Walla.
A telephone message from the Colville Examiner to The Miner at 3 o'clock this (Thursday) afternoon gives the following results in the county, as indicated by the returns from 40 out of 52 precincts:
Republican ticket — Representatives, Spedden; contest close between Sloan and Thayer; Sheriff, Seale or Turk; clerk, Johnson; auditor, Jesseph; assessor, Bottorf; superintendent of schools, Mrs. Noble; commissioner for the Third district, probably Sutherland. Jones carried the county on preference for U.S. Senator.
In the only Democratic contest for county office W. H. Graham gets the nomination for sheriff. For superior court Judge Carey wins by a large majority. Harkness, Socialist, will have about 400 votes, and Allen less than 200.
In Newport precinct there was little excitement or enthusiasm shown, but a fairly good vote was polled, which it took the judges until 8 o'clock the next morning to count. There were 200 votes cast, of which 160 were Republican, 30 Democratic and 10 Socialist. The Democratic vote was very light and numbers of them voted the Republican ticket.
“There were 200 votes cast, of which 160 were Republican, 30 Democratic and 10 Socialist. The Democratic vote was very light and numbers of them voted the Republican ticket.”
The very first run of Washington's direct-primary law reveals problems we'd recognize instantly: cross-party voting, incomplete minority tickets, and slow counts that take all night. It's a reminder that fights over how primary ballots work — and who gets to influence the other party's nomination — are as old as the primary itself.
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