The Shasta courier., 1859-08-27
ELECTION LAWS.
EXTRACTS FROM An ACT TO REGULATE ELECTIONS
Of Oualifcali9as and Disa6aities ef Elect0rs.

Of Oualjfcations and Disabilities Of Electors.
Sec TO- Every white male citizen of the Unit
ed States, and every white male citizen OF Mexi-
CO who shall have been elected TO become
citizen of the United States under the treaty of
peace exchanged and ratified at Quereta-o, on
the 30th day of May, l84S, of the age twenty
one years, who shall have been resident ofthe
State six months next proceeding the election,
and the county or district in which he claims
his vote, thirty days, shall be entitled to a vote
at all elections which are now or hereafter may
be authorized by law.
Sec II. For the purpose of voting, no per-
son shall be deemed to have gained or lost a
residence by reason of his presence or absence
on the service of the United States nor while
engaged in the navigation OF the waters Of this
State or the United States, or of the high seas !;
nor while student OF any seminary of learning;
nor while kept at any almshouse or other asylum,
nor while confined in any public prison.
Sec. T. No idiot or insane person, or person
convicted Of any infamous crime, shall be en-
titled to the privileges of an elector.
Sec IL A crime shall be deemed infamous
which is punishable by death or by imprison-
meut in the State Prison.
Of The Place Of Holding Elections, and also Of In
spectors, JUICES, and Clerks Of Elections.
Sec II 1t shall be the duty of each Inspector
to be ut the place where the polls are to be
opened in the precinct for which he is appoint
ed, from eigh o'clock in the morning until sun
set on the day of election. Should such Inspect
or not appear at eight o'clock in thu morning.
the electors present at the place where the polls
are to be opened, mag appoint an Inspector for
the precinct.
See Is. The Board ofInspectors for each pre-
cinct shall, before the time of opening the polls,
appoint two suitable persons to act as Clerks.
Sec. 8. Before any election shall be opened,
the Inspector, Judges and Clerks shall each be-
fore any officer authorized to administer oaths,
take an oath that he will faithfully and impair
TALLY discharge the duties assigned him by law.
If there is no persch present authorized to ad-
minister oaths, the Inspector shall administer
the same to the Judges and Clerks, and one of
the Judges shall then administer the oath to the
Inspector.
Sec. 90 The Inspector shall be Chairman of
the Board, and after its organization shall have
power to administer all necessary oaths, which
may be required in the progress of the election.
He shall also have power to fill any vacancy
that may occur in the Board of Judges, or by
absence or refusal to serve of either ofthe Clerks,
after the polls have been opened.
/ OH OpefH.y btt OttS' " FotUtY uHU CH"tte"JeS'
SEC o. At all elections, the polls shall be
opened at eight o'clock in the morning, and
shall continue open until sunset, at which time
the judges shall close the polls Provided, that
the Judges of election may take a recess of one
hour at any time they may think proper during
the day before three o'clock in the afternoon.
Sec %. The Board of Judges, before they
commence receiving ballots, shall cause it to be
proclaimed aloud at the place Of voting that the
polls opened.
Sec. %. Whenever any person offers to vote,
the Inspector shall pronounce his name in an
audible voice, and if there be no objection to
the qualification of such person as an elector,
shall receive his ballot, and in the presence of
the other Judges put the same, without being
opened or examined, into the ballot box.
Sec. 26. The name of each elector whose bal
lot has been thus received, shall be Immediately
entered by each Clerk in the column of his poll
list, headed names of voters" numbering each
name in the additional column, as it is taken
down, so that it may be seen at any time wheth-
er the two lists agree.
Sec. 81. Any person offering to vote may be
challenged as unqualified by the Inspector, or
either of the Judges, or by any legal voter; and
it shall, in all cases, be the duty Of the Inspector
and each of the Judges to challenge any person
offering to vote whom he shall know..or suspect
not to be duly qualified as an elector.
Sec. %. When any person offering to vote is
challenged, it shall be the duty of the Board of
Judges to declare to him the qualifications ofan
elector.
Sec 30. # such person shall still insist that
he is entitled to vote, and the challenge shall
not be be Withdrawn, the Board of Judges, in
their discretion may administer an oath or af-
frmation to the voter:
You do swear (or affirn) that you are a cit
izen of the United States that you of the
age of twenty-one years, according to the best
of your information and belief; that you have
resided in this State six months next preceding
this election, and in this County Tor District or
Township, as the case may be) thirty days, and
that you have not before voted this day."
SEC. 80. If the person thus challenged shall
take the oath as rendered to him by the Board
of Judges, he shall be admitted to vote, and it
shall not be lawful, after he has taken such oath
or affirmation, for said Board to examine any
witness touching his want of qualifications but
if he shall refuse to take the oath or affirmation
so rendered to him, his vote shall be rejected
SEC. 81. If the vote of any person be chal-
lenged on the ground that he has been convicted
of an infamous crime, or disfranchised by any
Court of competent jurisdiction, he shall not be
required to answer any questions respecting such
alleged conviction and in the absence of any
authenticated record of such facts, it may be
competent for two disinierested witnesses upon
oath to prove the same.
SEC. 30. When the polls are closed, proclama-
ton thereof shall be made at the place of voting,
and no votes shall be afterwards received.
| Of Counting and Receiging the Votes, Declarinq
The Result Of Elections, and Of Certificates Of
! Election.
Sec. SO. AS soon as the polls are closed on
the afternoon of the day of election, the Judges
shall open the ballot box and commence count
ing the votes and in no case shall the ballot t-box
be removed from the room in which any eec-
tion may be held, until all the ballots are count
ed; the counting of ballots shall in all cases be
public.
The ballots shall be taken out carefully, one
by one, by the Inspector or one of the Judges,
who shall open them, and read aloud the name
of each person contained therein, and the Office
| for which every such person is voted for
! Each Clerk shall write down each Office to be
/ filed and the mama of each DerSon votad for