Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1889 — GENERAL ELECTION LAW, [ARTICLE]

GENERAL ELECTION LAW,

INCLUDING BRIBERY LAWS. . An Act concerning elections, providing | enalties for the violation of the sam?, and repealing all laws in conflict therewith. f Approved March 6, 1889. J (Continued.) Sec. 9. L'he Inspector shall be chairman of shell Board, and, before the reception of any (votes, shall administer the oath to the Clerks of the election that Urey will faithfully discharge their duties as such. After the organization of the Board of Elections the inspector may administer all necessary oaths which may be re quired iu the discharge of its duties, and all oaths shall be written or printed and shall be signed by the persons making such oaths in the presence of such Board of Elec ions, and the person administering such oaths shall affix his jurat thereto, and said affidavit shall be attached to aud returned vith the poll lists to the office of County Clerk. The oaths herein pi escribed for the Clerk of elections shall be in the following form, namely:

State of Indiana, I Countv, j 88: I do solemnly s .>ear (or affirm as the case may be) that I will fnithfully and honestly discharge my duties as Clerk of the election inprecinct and ward (dr, township) incounty, Indiana, and that I will not disclose or communicate to any person how any elector voted, or how any ballot was folded, marked or stamped. Subscribed and sworn to before me this .. day of Sec. 10. The Board of County Commissioners of each count shall provide, at the expense ot the county, two ballot-boxes, o. e painted re , for the reception of the ballots prepared by the State Board of Election Commissioners, and one tainted white, for the reception of th? ballots prepared by the County Board of Election Commissioners for each precinct; each ballot box shall have at least two locks of different kinds and combinations, so that the key of one will not unlock the other, and be otherwise so constructed as to contribute toward the prevention of fraud. Sec. 11. An opening shall be made in the lid of each box sufficient only for a single ballot; and, at the time the election is opened, the Inspectors and Judges shall see that there are no ballots in the box before the voting begins, and shall thereupon securely lock the box, and give one key to one of the Judges who is in politics opposed to the Inspeotor, the Inspector retaining the other key; and the same shall not be again opened until the polls are closed, and the Board is ready to immediately proceed with the counting. Sec. 12. The eltction shall be opened in the forenoon at the hour of eight o’clock and continue open until four o’clock of the afternoon, after which the Board may close the election at any time, when all the electors have voted, or when fifteen minutes have passed without a vote having been tendered; but the polls shall, in no case, be be kept open after six o’clock of the afternoon; and the polls Ehall not be closed after four o’clock and before six o’clock except by the unanimous consent of all the members of the Election Board; but whenever the Dolls are closed, proclamation must be made of the fact of such closing by the Inspect or, to the people outside, in a loud and audible tone of voice, and a minute of such proclamation, and of the time when the same was made, must be made on the tally papers by the Clerks, and after such minute has been made, no

more votes shall be received: Provid d, That upon the petition of twenty legal veters and householders of any precinct in the State, presented to the Board of County Commissioners at their June session next preceding any election in the county in which such precinct or precincts are situate, [petitioning said board for the opening of the election at tDe hour of six o’clock in the forenoon, it is made the duty of the Board of Commissioners to grant and enter of record the‘prayer of such precinct petitioners; and it is made the further duty of the Board to direct the Auditor of the county to publish in’two newspapers of general circulation published in said county, representing the leading national political parties opposed to eac ot ‘ er, for three successive weeks a notice setting out fully the name of the precinct or precincts, and the township, town or city in wh.ch such precinct or precincts are situxted, so petitioning for the opening of the polls <*t six o’clock in the forenoon, ano the Board shall enter of record °n order requiriig the polls ot every such precinct to be opened accordingly: Provid - ed, further, That in all cities and in incorporated towns having a population of one thousand or more, as shown by the last United States census the polls shall be opened at six o’clock in the foreroon on the day of such el-ction and closed at six o’clock in the afternoon of said day. Sec. 13. Each elector shall vote, by ballot, in the precinct wherein he resides. Any person, who, having been a resident of Indiana, shall have ab ented himself from the State for a period of six months or more, or who shall have gone into any otffir State or sovereignty with the intenfon of voting therein, or during any absence in another State or sovereignty shall have voted therein, and also, any person who sha 1 ! not have been a bona fide resident of this State and of the county in which he resides, at least six months before any election, shall, before being entitled to vote at any election in this State, register a notice of his intention to become a qualified elector therein, in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Cmrt of the county in which he resides. Who ever sh ill be absent from the State for a period of s x mo*hs or more on business of the State or the United States, shall at the time lie offers to vote, produce a certificate from the County Auditor that his name has continuously, since his departure from the State on such business, been upon the tax duplicate of said county for the purpose of taxation, during his absence from the State, and that he is still a tax-payer in said county; and failing to produce such certificate such person shall not be permitted to vote. Such registration shall be made at least three months prior to any such election, and the notice shall state such person’s name, age and place of residence (by which shall be understood his lodging place), and the notice shall be in the form following, and sworn to before such Clerk: State of Indiana, I County, J 88 ’ I, the subscriber hereto, hereby declare my intention to become a qualified elector under lhe laws of Indiana; that I was .... years of age on my last birth day; that my lodging place is now (here insert exact location); and I am a bona fid© resident of the precinct in which I lodge: Provided, That the pro-* visions of this section respecting such registration and notice shall not apply to any voter who, six months or more previous to any election, shall have registered with said Clerk a notice declaring his intention to hold his residence in this State during a contemplated absence, and that during such absence he will not exercise the right of suffrage elsewhere, and which notice shall be as follows, and shall be sworn to before said Clerk:

State of Indiana, ) . County, J 88 ‘ I, thp t übsenber hereto, a qi alifled voter of (here insert the name of his precinct,. ward, township, town and city), in said county, intending to absent my sei’, do hereby declare my purpose to hold my residence as a voter in said State, and that I will not exercise the right of suffrage elsewhere during my absence. On the filing of any notice, as provided for in this section, it shall be the duty of such Clerk to enter the name and residence of said elector and date of the filing of said notice in a book furnished for said puipose, to be open at all times to the inspection of the public, and safely preserve said original notice and deliver a certified copy of the same to the elector so registering, and on demand of any challenger or member of the Election Board such elector shall be requested to produce the same be-1 fore being allowed to vote. No ! person shall register for any other person, or in the name of any other person, or present the copy of the register for any other per- j son at a polling place, or induce, | hire or advise any other person net to register who may be required to register as above. Any person violating the provisions of this .ection, or who shall vote, or attempt to vote, without having been registered when required to do so as above, shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned in the State prison for not less than one nor more than five years, and be disfranchised for any determinate penod No elector shall be at any cost or charge for such registration or certificate thereof; and the Clerk shall be allowed twenty-five cents, and no more, for each registration and certificate thereof, to be in full for all services coniected therewith, which allowance shall be made out of the County Treasury by the Board of County Com missioners, on itemized statements sworn to by end Clerk. Sec. 14. Before receiving the ballot of any elector, the Board of Election shall cause to be pro claimed that such election is opened.

Sec. 15. It shall be the duty of the Sheriff of each county to appoint, five days prior to each election, two special deputies for each precinct io the county, to be known as Election Sheriffs, who shall attend the polling places in their e precincts from the opening of the polls to the conclusion of the count. It shall be their duty to preserve order at the polls and enforce the provisions of the election law, under the direction of the Election Board, and make arrests on the demand of a member of the Board, or on affidavit, as hereinafter provided. — One of such Election Sheriffs shall be chosen from each 'of the two parties that cast th* largest number of votes in the Sta>te at the last general election; and if at least five days prior to such elec*, tion, the Chairman of th a C<unty Central Comm ttee of either of sucn parties shall nominate a member of his party for Election Sheriff in any precinct, such nominee shall be appointed. If any Election Sheriff shall fail to appear at the opening of the polls, the member or members of .the Election Board of his political party shall appoint a person to act in his place. Compensation of one dollar and fifty cents per day shall be allowed to each Election Sheriff by the Beard of County Commissioners, but no such Election Sheriff shall be allowed for more than one day’s service at any election. No other peace officers of the State, or any division thereof, shall be allowed within fifty feet of the polls, except to serve process of courts or to vote, unless summoned by the Election Sheriffs. (Tobe continued.)