(The Crimson invites all men in the University to submit signed communications of timely interest. It assumes no responsibility, however, for sentiments expressed under this head and reserves the right to exclude any whose publication would be palpably inappropriate.)

To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

After about three weeks of campaigning, the annual elections of the middle classes of the University have been concluded. The publicity given to both has been greater this year than in years past, but the result has been little less disappointing. The Juniors received two more ballots than the necessary 60 per cent, and the Sophomores are still striving.

Something of course should be done! Many will say that only one officer is necessary for each class during their second and third years in college. For several reasons I do not believe this would do any more than cause a growing amount of uneasiness and embarrassment in the formation of committees to carry on the business of the class. The difficulty is in the balloting.

I believe the postal ballot would solve the difficulty. A suggestion for this method which appears plausible would be as follows:

1. On the day stated in the constitution of the Student Council for the appearance of the names of men nominated, cards should be sent to all members of the class announcing these nominations.

2. After the closing date for nominations by petition, a second card should be sent to each member of the class giving the final list of nominations, explaining the method of balloting, and announcing a closing date before which all ballots should be returned through the mail. Included in the same envelope with this card should be a ballot and a stamped envelope addressed: "Election Chairman (class). Harvard Crimson, Plympton St., Cambridge". On the upper left-hand corner of the enclosed stamped envelope there should be a ruled line with the word "signed" printed next to it where each man returning a ballot should sign his name.

3. When these ballots have been returned the election committee should check first from the names on the unopened envelopes. Then the ballots should be removed and separated from the envelopes to preserve the secrecy of the voting. The counting would then proceed as is customary.

To place the polls at a spot readily convenient for all men has been shown to be impossible in this time when the Sophomore and Junior Classes have so uniformly expressed their lack of interest in the election of class officers. To set a greater number of places for balloting would increase, with other things, the number of men necessary to serve as poll watchers. Such an increase is not only impracticable but with the present attitude of men thus appointed apparently impossible.

The new method, on the other hand would bring the election as closely as is possible to each man in the class. It would preserve the secrecy of the ballot it would lighten much of the work which now falls on the shoulders of the Election Chairman. It might even receive thus through the mail, especially with the incentive of a stamped envelope, as ready a response as floods the Cambridge post office now in answer to the social invitations in Boston,--or would the ballots have to be engraved?  R. P. BULLARD '24.

October 30, 1922