Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1889 — GENERAL ELECTION LAW [ARTICLE]

GENERAL ELECTION LAW

INCLUDING BRIBERY LAWS. An Act concerning elections, providing | enalties for the violation of the same, and repealing all laws in conflict therewith. [Approved March 6, 1889. | f Continued. Sec. 34. At the opening of the pods, aiter the organization of, and in the presence of, the electiou board the inspector shall open the packages of ballots in uch a manner as to preserve the seals intact. He shall then deliver to the poll clerk of the opposite political party from his own, twenty-five each of the state and local ballots, and to the other clerk the stamps for marking the ballots. The poll clerks shall at once proceed to write their initials, in ink, on the ■lower left hand corner of the back of each of said ballots, i their ordinary handwriting, and without any distinguishing marks of any kind. As each successive elector calls for a ballot the pc 11 clerks shall deliver to him the first signed of the twenty-five ballots of each

kind; and the inspector shall immediately deliver to ihe poll clerks auother ballot of each kind which the poll clerk shall at once countersign, as before, and add to the ballots already countersigned, so that it shall be delivered for voting after all of those theretofore countersigned. Sec. 35. The county board of election commissioners of each , ounty shall c use to be printed in large type on cards, in Englssh and suen other language as they deem necessary, instructions for the guidance of electors in preparing their ballots. They shall furnish twelve of such cards in each of the languages determined upon by them to each of the election inspectors at the same time they deliver to him the ballots for his precinct . Each inspector shall cause to be posted one of each of said cards m each place or compart*, ment provided for the ; reparation of ballots, and one of kind of such cai ds at or near the outer end of the chute Lading t# the polling olace, not nearer than fifty ! eet of the polling place, and not ess than three of each of such cards, and three samples of each of the state and local ballots in and about the polling place at the opening of the polls on the day of election, which sample ballots shall be printed on different colored paper than the gent ine ballot . Said cards shall contain full instructions to the voters as to what must be done: First, to obtain ballots for voting; second, to prepare the ballots for voting; third, to obtain a next ballot in place of one accidentally defaced, mutilated or spoiled; also,copies of sections forty-three, fiftj,fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-nine and sixty of this ctSec. 36. In case any inspector or his representative shall tail to appear at the office of the county clerk by the close of the second day urior to any election, the county board of election commissioni ers shall forthwith dispatch a special messenger to his precinct with the ballots and stamps for such precinet. Such messenger shall be allowed two dollars ter his time

and fire cents per mile for the distance necessarily traveled by him, and shall promptly report to such clerk and file with him the receipt of<jthe person to whom he delivered such ballots and stamp, and his affidavit stating when and to whom he delivered such ballots and stamps, and such inspector shall receive no compensation for his services at such election. Sec. 37. Any inspector who shall wilfully or negligently fall to appear at the clerk’s office, in person or by representative, as herein provided, shall be guilty °f misdemeanor, and on conv'cti°n shall be fined not less than ten dollars, nor more than one hundred dol-

lars, and shall thereaf er be competent to serve as inspector. .Sec. 38. If by anv accident or casualty the ballots delivered to acy clerk, inspector, er other messenger shall be lost or destroyed, it shall be the duty ot such person in custody io report the loss at once to the board of election commissioners, from which the same were obtained, and make affidavit of the circumstances of th ■ less, whereupon such board shall at o ce resupply such person. In c ase such person in custody fails or refuses to report and make proof of the loss, any qualified voler may do so, and thereupon such Board shall at once stud a new suppb by sue*

cial messenger, as provided in other cases. In case, for any reason, there should be found no ballots or other necessary means or contrivances for voting at the opening of the polls, it shall be the duty of the election board to secure the same as speedily as possible, and, if necessary, such b ard may have ballots printed: l rovided, howev er, That such ballots shall conform as nearly as possible to the genuine b >llots, and thft printing and the care oj the same shall be under the sam# 1 provisions and penalties as the printing nd care of the other ballots prescribed in this act.

Sec. 39 The various boards of election commissioners shall pr_serve the ballots that are left over in their hands after supplying the precincts as hereinbefore provided, until six o’clock p. m. of the day of election, and shall then count and destroy, by totally consuming by fire, all of such ballots but one, wlno~ shall be securely pasted in the election record immediately precediug the place where the vote is to be recorded, Ti.ey shall also cause to be entered below such ballot the number of ballots printed by them, he number delivered to each messenger and the number destroyed by them. Sec. 40. It shall be the duty of the county commissioners iu each county, before each election, to provide for and secure in each precinct of the county a suitable room iu which to hold the election, and to have placed therein a railing sepa ating the part of the room to be occupied by the election board from the remainder of the room and a*so three booths or compart" ments in which -lectors shall mark their ballots screen?d from observation, each containing a counter or shelf. Booths shall be so constructed and arranged that all the members of the election board c n see whether more than one voter enters any one of such booths at one time. The portion of the room set apart for the election board shall include a window at which the voter shall appear for challenge, and such voter shall immediately anr ounce his full and true name to tfie challengers.— The board of county commissioners ffiall also provide for each precinct a chute or passage with a railing, rope or wire on each side, commencing fifty feot away from, and leading to sue h polling place, passing such window for challenge, and tnence to the entrance of the room in which the e’ection is held. The expenses of such preparation shall be defrayed as other expenses ol the county bv the board of

county commissioners. No election shall be held in a room in which spirituous, vinous or malt liquors are kept or sold.

bee. 41. One challenger and one poll-book holder, appointed by each party organization shall be entitled to stand at the sides of the chute near the challenge window. No other person shall remain within fifty feet ot the same, except for the purpose of offering his vote; and voters shall approach and enter the chute in the order in which they appear for the purpose of voting. If any person offering to vote shall re enallenged by one of such challengers or by any member of the election boaid, he shall stand aside and shall not be entitled to vote unless he makes affidavit in writing that he is a qualified and legal voter of 'he

precinct, and in such affidavit sets forth his name, residence, occupa* tion, place 01 places of residence during the six months prior to the election, with the date of any removal within that time, and the names of two persons who have personal knowledge of his residence in the precinct thirty days and the township sixty days, and shall, in case he be a person required by this act to be registered, alco produce the necessary certificate of legislation provided for in this act. He shall then be allowed to vote, unless the challenger or some qualified w oter of the precinct make affidavit in writing that he knows or is informed and verily believes that the person offering to vote is not a legal voter in the precinct; and if the affidavit ba on information andbeli?f, he shall set forth the names of the person or persons from whom such informa-

tion was obtained, and the person offering to vote shall not thereafter be allowed to vote, except one qualfied voter of the precinct, who has been a freeholder and resident householder in the precinct for at least one year or a resident householder for two years next preceding such election shall make affidavit or affirmation in writing that of his personal knowledge such person effering to vote is a legal voter at the precinct: Provided, That if such person so offering to vote be challenged solely or for the additional reason that he is not a citizen of the United States, then such person so challenged for . uch reason shall take and subscribe the following oath:

Ido solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I have resided in the United Statv. s one year, and have declared my intention of becoming a citizen thereof in conformity with the laws thereof. The other affidavits herein referred to shall be in the following form: Ido solemnly swqar (or affirm, as the case may be) lhat I am a cit'zen of the United States; that I am.now over the |age of twentyone years, to the best of my information and belief; and that I have been a bona fide resident of this state for six months immediately preceding this election; that I haye resided in the township 1

sixty days, knd in the precinct thirty days, and t.":at I am now a 1 ona fide resident of this precinct; aud that I am generally known by the name in which I now desire to vote, which is ........; that my present residence is (if in the city or town give the street or number), and 'that during the last six months prior to this elec tion I have resided at 1 have removed from to on the following date ... ....: and that and have personal knowledge ox my residence in the precinct thirty days and in the township sixty days. I swear that I am informed and believe that , now offering to vote, is not a legal voter in this precinct, and tint I obtained such information from and I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that J. am a qualified voter in ibis precinct; that 1 have a freeholder and resident householder in this pre - cinct for one year, or a resident householder for two years next preceding this election; that ...., who now desires to vote, has resided in this s' ate for six months immediately preceding this election; that he has resided in this township sixty days, and in this precinct thirty days, «t ; that he is now a bona fide resident of this precinct and a legal voter therein. These facts I know of my own personal knowledge.

Sec. 42. If at any time during the election any qualifi d elector shall make affidavit before the in spector that any person who has voted is an illegal veter in such precinct, the person accuse 1 shall at ouce be arrested by the emotion sheriffs and by them delivered to the civil authorities. Immediately after the close of the election the inspector shall deliver such affidavits some Justice of the Peace in the township, who shallproceed thereon as if the affidavit had been made betore him. Sec. 43. Whoever shall knowingly or willfully make a false affidavit, under any of the provisions of this act, shall be deemed guilty of perjury. I (To be continued.)