Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 January 1890 — GENERAL ELECTION LAW INCLUDING BRIBERY LAWS. [ARTICLE]

GENERAL ELECTION LAW INCLUDING BRIBERY LAWS.

An Act concerning el ctions, providing j enalties for the violation of the sanid, and repealing all laws in conflict therewith. [ Approved March 6, 1889. J ( Continued. Sec. 52. The Board shall then proceed to canvass the votes, be* ginning first with the Statu ballots and completing them before proceeding with the local ballots, by laying each ballot upon the table, in the order in which it is taken from the ballot-box, and the inspector and the judge of the election, differing in politics from the inspector, shall view the ballots as the names of the persons voted for are read therefrom. In the canvass of the votes any ballot wh"ch is not endorsed with the initials of the pell clerks, as provided in this act, and any ballot which shall bear any distinguishing mark or mutilation shall be void and shall not be counted, and a y ballot or part of a ballot from which it is impossible to determine the elect or’s choice of candidates, shall net f e counted as to the candidate or candidates ass ectod thereby: Pro* vided, however, That on protest of any member of the board, such ballot, and all disputed ballots, shall be preserved by the inspector, and at the close of the count, placed with the seals of the ballot packages in paper bags, securely sealed, and so delivered to the clerk of the county, with notification to him of the Lumber of ba 1 - lots so placed in such bags, and of the condition of the seals of the 1 allot packages. The poll olerk shall also recoid on the tallysheets memoranda of such ballots and the condition of the seal of the ballot f ackages; and in any contest of election, such ballots and seals may bd submitted in evidence. On completing the count, and recording the same on the tallysheets, all the remaining ballots, except those marked, mutilated or otherwise defective, as in this section hereinbefore described, shall be destroyed by the election board by totally consuming by fire before adjournment, and thereupon the election board shall immediately make a memo -andum of the total vote cast for each candidate and deliver a copy thereof to each member of such board.

Stc. 53. Any person who shall (1) falsely make or fraudulently deface or fraudulently destroy any certificate or petition of nomination, or any part thereof; (2) file any certificate or petition of nomination, knowing the same, or any part thereof, to be falsely made; or (3) suppress any petition or certificate of nomiration which has been duly filed, or any part there** of; or [4) forge or make the official indorsement of any ballot; or (5) p int, or cause to be printed, any imitation ballot, or circulate the same; or (6) conspire with others to do any of said acts, or indue*, or attempt to induce, any other person to do any of said acts, whether or not said acts, or any of them, be committed, or attempted to be committed, sha 1 be deemed guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the state penitentiary not less than two nor more than five years, and be disi franchis d lor any determinate period not less than ten years. Sec. 54. Any clerk, inspector or other messenger entrusted with the custody of ballots who shall any of the packages m which the ballots are contained, or permit any of them to be opened, or destroy any of such ballots, or permit them to be destroyed; or give or deliver any such packages or ballots to any person not lawfully entitled to receive them, as herein provided; or conspire to procure, ».r in any way &id, abet or connive at any robbery, loss or destruction

of any such ballots or packages, shall be guilty of a felony, and on convict-on shall be punished by imprisonment in the State prison for not less *han three nor more than ten years, and be disfranchised for any determinate period not less than ten years. Sec. 55. If any person not herein authorized so to do shall enter or attempt to enter the election room, or enter or attempt to enter within the railing leading from the chal’enge wiudow to the entrance of the elec.ion room without first having been passed by the challengers, or having been sworn in as hereinbefore provided, or shall remain within fifty feet of the polling place, conttary to the provisions hereinbefore m de, he shall be guiltv of a misdemeanor, and on convict;on thereof be fi ed not more than five hundred dollars.

Sec. 56. If any person shall induce, or attempt to induce, any elector to write, paste or otherwise on his ballot the name of an; person or any sign or device of anv kind, as a distinguishing mark which to indicate to any other person how such elector has voted, or shall enter into or attempt to form any agreement or conspiracy with any other person to induce or attempt to induce electors, or any elector, to so place any distinguish, ing name oi mark on his ballot whether or not said act re committed or attempted to be committed, such person so offending shall be guilty of felony, and, on conviction, be imprisoned not more than five nor less than two years in the Stale’s t rison.

Sec. 57. If any person, being a member of an Election Board or otherwise entitled to f the J inspection of the ballots, shall reveal to any other person how any elector has voted,or what ether candidates were voted for on any ballot bearing a name not printed thereon by the Board of Election Commis* sioners, or give any information concerning the appearance of any ballot voted, such persons so offeding shall be guilty of a felony, and, on conviction, shall be irapris* oned not less than two years more thau five years in the State’s Prison, and be disfranchised for any determinate period not less than ten year. .

Sec. 58. If any person shall in duce or attempt to induce any member of an Eiection Board to violate any of the provisions of section 47 [S7J, whether or not such member of the Election Board shall violate or attempt to violate any of the provisions of this act, such person so offending shall be guilty ol a felony, and, on conviction, shall le imprisoned in the States Prison not less than two years nor more than five years,, and be disfranchised for any determinate period not less than ten yea is. It shall be the duty of each Inspector to distinctly read this and the proceeding section to the Election Board at the opening of the polls, and each member thereof shall thereupon take an oath that he has not violated and will not violate the provisions of said section. (To be continued.)