, 1861-01-31
REGISTRY Law.
An Act to pfoptd4 for asc<rtainin1 ths 4naNfo
lions ef rot1rs and to prtss7t fraudultnt voting.

REGISTRY AA"s
An Act 70 provide for ascertaIaing the qnal.fca-
sioas ef rotsrsa and to prtes7t fraudultnt voting.
wairnrAs. Tho right Of suffrage is the highest
privilege OF the cftzen and ahould be guarded with
proper vigilance against Intrusion aud fraud-tor
tho pnrpoae therefore OF aaccrtaining the persons
Who may be entitled to vote at tho several elections
held under the lnwA this State and to prevent IT,
sEc1lo1 !. Be Il enacted BY The peone Of TIC State
q HanoA rkpressa9ed Y Me Genfrat Asstns4v,
tied to yoto ehal be registered a. hereinafter pro
v1ded, and no person whose name Il not contained
in the registers kept under tho provisions OF
aW Be to sots 2. a;n5
Of the Judges Of election Of the precinct Or elec
the district where be may offer such vote that he
u gualsned tovote under the laws Of this State,
snth proof ~ regards his residence within the said
election district for the period Of time herein re-
quised. to be made By tho testlmony under oath Of
q lsast Two voer' Of tatd election dis
/ sEc. Each and every assessor in counties
hereby required annually at tho times ol making
column. prepared for that purpose, the nsma and
place OF reaidenee OF every eo white mile person
o. o. ses NE age eI .wenty.one Jsars and who Claims
of making aid assessment, such lit to To- BE- G taken
down aud kept By election precincts each precinct
separated from The Others oy some pla!n and dis
'u1guishlns mark or designation. Within ten
days after completing hia said Assessment, each OF
said assesaoTs shall return to the Office Of tho
county clerk Of bis county said list Of voters re-
duced tulo alphabsttcal order for each and every
precinct with Al affidavit subscribed by raid
sor, that the said list Is 1Isly and hons ely u:adc
ton and belief
SEC. J. rne county clerk Of each county in coun-
Il snot adopting township Organization. upou the
receipt from the asseseos Of the said precinct List
30 By him returned, shall file the eame IN his olce
mn fhA - - <-fA In
same, aud ahan within ten days thereafter make
out and send true c9py by precincts to the board
81 5sgiz.EJ p.eyidea by thls act N each precinct
each precinct to the boarl Of registry appointed
for ssid precinct said copies to be under tie hand
OF said clerk ard the seal Of the county court
hereafter adopt township organization tho asses
sors Of the respective towns shall Annually Ut the
time 81 mak1ns their assessment, proceed to make
out alphabetical lists Of all free white male persons
over the age Of twcnty-one years, who may claim
to be voters within the limits Of their respective
towns and shall within ten days af.er completion
alphabetical list the town CLERKS Of thcr several
towns With the same aMdartt that Is by section
two OF this act required Of county assessots.
SEC. s. Each town clerk shall die in his Office the
said lists Of voters returned By the aseessoss OF
n. town, endorsing thereon tho dny OF the receipt
o. an1 ,ac same; ! - . .,.,. ,,
towns and villages in this State, shall in like man
ner annually AZ the time Of making assessments
fot said corporations. make out sini1Ar lists con-
tanning the same facts, and divided according to
their several election districts within said corpora-
tions, and shall within ten d1ys after completing
ihelr assessments return the same in alphabetical
clerks of the said corporation. who shall die the
samc III their respective offices.
SIC: !; The county courts Of tho several coun-
tion, required 10 assemble at their asaa place
Of holding courts the drst Aonday In April NEXT
after the passage Of this act, aud shall then and
Greet aud competent persons In each precinct, one
Of whom ahall be justice Of the peace, who shaIl
co9stlsgse board of registry for raid predict.
be5sts. ,n ~ sonn.eS Wh,ea haye ADOPTED o. may
slsoE town clerk and assessor Of each town. shall
con*titute the board Of registry for such town.
The city councis in cities, and the board Of 1fus
tees OF other corporate body IN Incorporated towns
and villages shall. on the trst uouday Of April In
sssh aud every year, appoint three discreet and
competent persons In each election district Of the
said municipal corporations, who shall constitute
board Of 1esistty for such election district.
Sec. 10, The several town clerks In counties
which In, adopted Or may adopt town: hip organ
zat!on the city clerks IN cities ard the corporation
c.sIks IN Incorporated towns ard Villages, etall,
within ten days after receiving from their several
copy for each town or election district under the
hand OF the said town or corporation il any be p:o
sdcd, aud transmit the same to thu beard of rrEis
try OF each town OF election district.
SEC. II. The boards OF registry h.rcinbctore
constituted or directed to be arpoiatcl, shall meet
annually on the Tuesday after the htst Monday Of
tcrin voters in their several rstccts di.lsicts or
towns, ut come place nearly ccntral IN said dir
titct, precinct OF town as eau Ia bta!.ed and shall
gtrc ten days notice of eaid meeting and the pur-
pose thereof, BY publication IL some newspaper
printed in the county ii there ~ one, and By post
ing up ave written o. printed rotccs In five Of the
district, Ten d1ys before ssid meeting. - e~'o1
Bee. T. Within ten days after receiving the lists
for their several election districts, towns pre-
cincta, the several boards u registry shall cause
three copies Of sueh lists to be c5nspcuou.ly post
cd In three Of the most public places in tker
fal election M-tifcts, towns or precincts, one OF
Tsic .lal be at the place where the last election
SEC. IL: At the first anuual meeting of the sev-
eFai boards os registry nder thi= act they shall by
over III an audible voce the names and residences
Of all persons wlosc names appear upon the az
Ecsso:s list for such precinct, aud If no objection
.aeh names sialE Be entered IL aphaSet.eal 9 orSr
under the proper initial letter OF the surname To-
gctheE with The residence of the voters, Ia u
The president OF said board ehan then rive
notice that the board is ready to receive
aud pass upon the names Of any persons who may
scyerally given said board the said board shall
proceed to near pror Of tho right Of raid person to
vote IN eall election distrfcf, precinct or town.
aud utter hearing all testimony tlat may be offered
for and against tue right Ut Euch pcssun a. rest
dent Of said election distrct precinct or town the
said board slall decide the same; aud ii they Or
majustty Of item shall dcc;uc u ,ninst such a;rj-
can't. his nan,r shalt not BIZ ins III said bo. H.
II II his favor, It stall as hescintefore provided
The aid board sha.l call ovce, tn like nauucr, tue
ha 6ee objected TO- and shall % hear sss,moay a9 ior
aud against TIE right of Huca person. AID decide
according to the weight of Testimony, always,
registered voters the suid election district in ia
tar Of the qualification oi lie proposed yoirr to
SEC. II. Prior to every cixctfoa other thnn such
as required to be hell On tic Tuesday after thv
tsst Mun1ay In November, the said bo.fds uf le:-
tstry sllall meet two weeks teforc the day nppo,t
tric:s, psscincts and sowas for the purpose Of
vi=ing said list OF VOTERS, having 1tst given two
weeks notice Of tho time and pl.ce Of raid meet
qulrcd for the annual meeting in section twelve Of
this act. When they shall proceed to revise eaid
net by striking out the names Of such persons a.
have removed from such election district, or may
have died, aid inserting the Eauce OF suci as hare
become residents Of sad election district since the
lh;t revision, or attained the u;e of majority or
SEC. Is. At each annual meeting OF said bosrd
Of registry after tic ar=t annual nj eting the beard
shall in like lnanneE. proceed IN like manner to re-
yise eaia list and no mine once Inscribed On said
lists, shall he stricken from this same, aud no new
lanle inscribed thereon. except upun the teest
mony of Two registered voters Ut the election dis
nict.
The annual and special meetings OF tho bo,rd OF
registry may be continued necessary in the juds-
ntcnt ot ealI board! for shrcr Successive days and
Ghai always bu leld open one dag, nnd sha:l he
hict. $3.50 rvs ~ ''1 '''''' 49, ~''S'''n 'tfs
SIG. II. Al1er each OF esid annual or special
meetings shall have closed its sessions, the presi-
deaf cf aad boards Of registry in the plesence Of
's other members hhal make or Cause 10 be made,
l,ir tEa1seFipt q the EsgistsE Of votes IN alpha
containing the names and reslLetce of each per-
son inscribed IN said registers; and sh usuoscfibc
thereto affidavit that the same IL true and cor
rect COPY from said books Of 1esistry, and shall
transmit eaid copy 60 sworn to, to the judges oi
election Of the election district. prccirct or iown.
It Or before the epeniEE af the po:. On The day Of
election. -tud shall also. az sUon said copy IL
made out and certified, deposit the book Of resis-
try With the follu" Ing officers persons fDr eafe
custody: ID cities and Incorporated .uwns und vii
lagos, with the clerks q the respective municipal
corporations. III counties under towIehiII os,nni-
zatioa. with the town CLERK in counties not under
township organization, with sach person as the
ana Of said booSs ehali safely Keep the anne, and
deliver them on the days appointed by this act, for
sessions Of the board to the president ,fthcb ard,
pTDr1ded HgtcttEF TINT any citizen residing ia the
election district shall alwys In hours Of basincse,
hlse the right to inspect aud examine said bouks,
in the hands of said cusod:aas or Of said boards.
keep the copy furnished. provided iu section II,
III their possession until the polls Of the election
arc closed, and shall then attach the sarue to the
return Of polls. which they aFe now BY Ia" reqaz-
SEC. 49, In casc the right Of any person offering
to vote at any general or special election eha be
election to Inspect said cupy Of the register
Of voters, and Il his appears said cop?, It
shall be Frima Jaci evidence that such person is
to be rcbntted BY evidence other than The tcstimo-
ny Of tho parsy challenged: PtoridtG; hotrerfr,
that the Judges oteeetion may IN addition 70 such
testimony. require from the person 70 challenged
his personal oath, rs to his qualifications voter
and fhall 70 require, If dcmaudcd h5 the person