University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, November 8.1972
3
State Amendments Pass
By JAN KESSINGER
Kansan Staff Writer
Kansas voters approved three constitutional amendments at the polls Tuesday, which are part of a series of bills designed to streamline state government.
The three amendments were favored by a 3-2 margin based on results received early this morning. The amendments were recommended by the Citizen's Committee on Constitutional Revisions, a bipartisan group appointed by Gov. Robert Docking.
A judicial amendment on the ballot, Proposition 1, will create a unified court and executive amendment, will establish a short ballot in Kansas. It will also make the term of office four years for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
Proposition 3, an amendment to the kansas Bill of Rights, will allow Kansas to permit a state legislature to amend its constitution.
PROPOSITION 1 will create a unified court system giving overall power of judicial administration to the Kansas Court, while providing a limitation of a maximum of seven justices on the Supreme Court and permit a minimum of four justices to rule on a case, provided the decision reached is approved by all four justices, and a majority of those justices.
With adoption of the proposition, continuity of performance in the office of chief
justice is provided for when there is an incapacity to serve. A justice who is eligible to assume the office may decline without resigning from the court,
The proposition allows the legislature to submit judicial districting methods for nonpartisan selection of district judges to the voters when necessary. The proposition requires that judges be selected by district judges on the Supreme Court and eliminates a requirement for election of a clerk of the district court in each county. To replace the individual clerks, the committee will provide a method of selection for the office of clerk for district courts.
PROPOSITION 1 also eliminates the present constitutional requirement that there be justices of the peace and probate courts in all jurisdictions. The legislature is insolvable for any necessary judicial organization to insure a unified court system.
The proposition specifies that impeachment will no longer be necessary to remove incapacitated judges. To abolish any court or to change the term of any present justice or judge would require an agreement between the courts and offices pay may be increased and the legislature may appoint temporary district judges if necessary.
Proposition 2, the executive article, extends the term of offices in the executive branch to four years, with elections in nonpresidential election years.
Vern's Brand of Law Good for 2nd Round
"I can't express my feelings," he said. "I will continue to do what I am supposed to do."
TOPEKA-Vern Miller, Kansas attorney general, was re-elected last night with a large victory margin over his Republican opponent Robert Hoffman.
At the end of the speech, a man at the back of the hall yelled, "Bingo."
In a speech at Democratic Headquarters here, Miller said he hoped to strengthen his staff and continue to crack down on drugs during activities in his next two years in office.
Miller also said he would issue a statement within the week detailing his plans for the next two years. He refused to admit that he would he run for governor in 1974.
Karl Hoffman, son of Robert Hoffman and his father's campaign coordinator, said the final vote tabulation probably would determine if Hoffman would run again.
In his speech, Miller said he was grateful for support given to him.
THESE ELECTION PROCESSES will be initiated in 1974. A requirement that the governor's message to the legislature be received within four business session was deleted. The governor is given the power to give an executive order to the legislature for reorganization of any state legislature.
"If it is a close race, we would not rule out the possibility of running again."
The governor and lieutenant governor would run as a team and would be limited to two successive four-year terms. The attorney general and secretary of state would be allowed to serve an unlimited number of consecutive terms.
Succession to the offices of governor and lieutenant governor is now regulated by legislation rather than the constitution in the event that both offices are vacant. If either the attorney general or the secretary of state vacces office in mid-term, the governor has the power to appoint a replacement.
PAY RAISES will be allowed for executive officials and may take effect in mid-term. In addition to the power of the governor to levy a fine, the legislature can force such a session.
Agencies with constitutionally delegated functions are exempted from the scope of the proposition. Executive orders must be approved by both houses of the legislature.
wide margin, was elected for the first time two years ago. He defeated Dick Seaton, who also had been a former assistant attorney general. Miller's capture of this office marked the first time since 1890 that a Democrat held this position.
Proposition 3, a change in the Kansas Bill of Rights, will change wording of an article to "No conviction within the state shall work a forfeiture of estate."
It replaces "No person shall be transported from the state for any offense committed within the same, and no concession to such person" (the corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate).
Offices may also be vacated by disability of the holder, with "disability" defined by statute. The lieutenant governor will no longer serve as the presiding officer of the senate.
Miller, favored by the polls to win by a
The striking of the clause enables Kansas to participate in the Interstate Corrections Compact. The Compact provides for the assessment of penal institutions of one member state, a national institution in another state, jointly serving the several states within the Compact.
Bright Sun Welcomes County Election Day
By JIM KENDELL Kansan Staff Writer
Tuesday didn't look like an election day, any more than one day looks like a Monday.
But voters knew it was election day and that turned out in record numbers in Dupont County.
The large turnout probably was assisted by sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s throughout most of the day. The early morning cloud cover vanished by 9 a.m.
As if he did not have enough problems with precinct mistakes and tardy tabulations, Mathis suffered a kidney stone attack Tuesday morning.
By KEVIN SHAFER
Kansan Staff Writer
Courthouse Suspense Still Exists, Walter
Walter Crankite's Electoral Sensory Perception (ESP) was not present in the Douglas County Courthouse Tuesday night, and the immediate result was the old fashioned waiting game that became popular in the pre-computer age elections.
Many of the county and state elections Tuesday night were so close that only the most interested, the most loyal and the most concerned were able to go to bed with positive knowledge about the success or failure of their candidates.
Unlike the presidential election that was projected in prime television time while most of the viewing public was still digesting their evening meal, those in Douglas County were forced to bear the brunt of morning before knowing the final results.
Douglas County uses the Australian ballot system, or the system of marking ballots by hand, instead of the electronic method. The end result is a longhand counting method as opposed to the computer counting method involved in the electronic voting system.
Mathia was rushed to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Within 50 minutes, Mathia said, an emergency crew had him comforted and his illness diagnosed.
BUT THE counting was not the only problem involved in the city of Jamaica.
County Clerk Delbert Mathia said that the mistake was just an oversight. He said he doubled very many wagers were cheated on and that wagers since the ballots omitted were apparently flicks and these were the ballots of major concern to most Douglas County voters.
In one unidentified precinct, some voters were not given all of the ballots they were supposed to mark. Instead of four ballots, voters were only given two or three ballots.
Matha's doctor told him that he was to admit Matha to the hospital, and matha had to leave.
MATHIA SAID that many of the people employed at the precincts were inexperienced and that they were not accustomed to the election rush. This, he said, accounted for some of the tardiness of tabulations.
But the problems did not end there.
"HE TOLD ME that he couldn't operate but that he could keep me deped up to keep我 comfortable," Mathia said. "I told him to give me a prescription and I could keen
Throughout the day voting generally was steady and heavy. While vote totals did not reach County Clerk Delbert Mathia's Monday prediction of 90 per cent, they outstripped the usual 65 per cent for a presidential election.
myself doped up and comfortable. That he did."
MATHIA was back at work Tuesday afternoon and continued working on into the morning.
Cronkite's presence was sorely missed in analysis of partial results of many of the tight races Tuesday night for many of those races teetered back and forth so often that the winner would not be determined until the very end.
And so, Walter, there were elections in Douglas County, Nov. 7. And the residents of that area with all their problems and pain proved that elections could still be held and the suspense maintained until sunrise without a prolonged projection.
VOTING AT SOME polling places was slowed by voters who took the time to read three proposed amendments to the Kansas constitution.
That's the way it was—Tuesday, Nov. 7,
1972.
Most polling places, however, like the one at Allen Field House, experienced no long delays in voting. The most people waiting to vote in ballots at any time was about a dozen.
By 4 p.m. poll workers appeared tired to be wounded for a mash of after-work votes, which they did not find.
On the street Tuesday, students, construction workers and clerks asked each other, "Have you voted yet?" the question was no longer, "Who are you voting for?" Even those who voted by absentee ballot days ago were somewhat concerned about the outcome, as they planned to spend an evening in front of a television set.
MANY STUDENTS, gathered near
screen sebs Tuesday night, learned of the
daily work.
"I didn't expect McGovern to, but I didn't think it would be this bad," said Robert Deeds, Houston, Texas, freshman, and he watched as she watched TV in McColumn Hall.
Twenty-five people crowded into the TV room at the Kansas Union groomed when Nixon won Wisconsin and chuckled when he took South Dakota, McGovenn's home state.
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