The Shasta courier., 1863-08-29
ELECTION LAWS.
Extracts from an Act toRegula tie Elections.

U.
United States, and every white male citizen o
Mexico who shall have been elected to beoom,
citizen OF the United States under the treat,
ofpeace exchanged and ratified at Qneretaro
On the 30th Of May, lS4S, of the age of twenty
one years, who shall have been resident OF the
State six months next preceding the election
and the county or district in which be claim;
his vote, thirty days, shall be entitled to vote
a. all elections which now or hereafter may
be authorized By law.
SEC IL. For the purpose of voting, no per-
son shall be deemed to have gained or lost g
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 thi:
State or the United States, or of the high seas
nor while a student Of seminary of learning
nor while kept at an almshouse other asy-
lum, nor while confined in any public prison.
SEC. u. No idiot or insane person or per-
sons convicted of any infamous crime, shall be
entitled to the privileges of an eIector.
Sec. l3. A crime shall be deemed infamous
which is punishable by death or by imprison-
ment in the State Prison.
Ofhe Place of Holding Elections, and also of In
spectors, Judges, and Clerks Of Election.
SEC. II. 1t shall be the duty of each Inspec-
tor to be at the place where the polls are to be
opened in the precinct for which he is appoint
ed, from eight in the morning until sunset on
the day of the election Should such Inspector
not appear at eight o'clock in the morning, the
electors present at the PIKE whefNshe polls are
to be opened, may appoint an Inspector for the
precinct.
SEC. IS. The Board of Inspectors for each
precinct shall, before the time of opening the
polls, oppoint two suitable persons as TO act
Clerks.
SEC 10. Before any election shall be open
ed the Inspector, Judges and Clerks shall each,
before 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 person 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. 20. 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 by refusal to serve of either of
the Clerks, after the polls have been opened.
On opening the Polls: Of Voting and Challenges
SEC %. At all elections, the polls shall be
open at eight o'clock in the morning. and shall
continue open until sunset, at which time
the Judges shall close the polls; prorided
that the Judges of the election may take re-
cess of one hour at any time they may think
proper during the day before three o'clock in
the aiteraoon.
SEC. 80. The Board eff Judges, before they
commence receiving ballots, shall cause it to
be proclaimed aloud at the place of voting that
the polls are open.
SEC. 25. Whenever any person offers to vote,
the Inspector shall pronounce his name in an
audible voice, and if there be objection to
the qualification of such person 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. &C. The name of each elector whose ball
lot has thus been received, shall be Immediate
" 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 ta-
ken down, so that it may be seen at any time
whether the two lists agree.
SEC. 81. Any person offering to vote may be
challenged as unqualified, by the Inspector. or
either of the Judges, OF by any legal voter; and
it shall, in all cases. be the duty of the Inspcc-
tor 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 eector.
Sec. %. When any person offering to vote is
challenged it shall be the duty of the Board of
elector.
Sec. 90. If such person shall insist that he
is entitled to vote, and the challenge shall not
be with tdrawn, the Board Of Judges in their dis
cretion may administer an oath of affirmation
to the voter:
s'You do swear Tor AFFIRM that you are cti-
zen of the United States that you are of the
age of twenty -one years, according to the best
ofyour information and belief that you have
resided in this State six months next preceding
this election, and in this County (or District or
Township, as the case may be) thirty days, and
that you have not before voted this day."
Sec. so. 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 an
oath or affirmation, for said Board to examine
any witness touching his want of qualifications
but if he shall refuse TO take the oath aifirma-
ton SO rendered to him, his vote shall be rejec-
ted.
Sec 81. If the vote of any person be chal-
lenged on the ground that he has been convic-
ted of an infamus crime, or dsfranchsed by
any Court ofcompetent 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 disinterested witnesses
upon oath to prove the same.
Sec 80. When the polls are closed, procla-
nation thereof shall be made at the place of vo-
ting, and no votes shall bs afterwards received
OF Counting and Reeeiring the Votes, Declaring
the Result Of Elections, and Of Certificates o
Election.
Sec. SO. As soon as the polls are closed on
the afternoon of the day of the election, the
Judges shall open the ballot-box and commence
counting the votes, and in no case shall the
ballot-box be removed from the room in which
the election may be held, until all the ballots
are counted 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
If each person contained therein and the Of
..se for which every such person is voted for.
Each Clerk shall write down each office 10 be
filled, and the name of each person voted for
such office, and shall keep the number of vote;
by talieS, as they are read aloud by tue In.
spector Judge. The counting of the votes shall
be continued without adjournment until al
are counted.
Sec. 81. If two tickets are folded together
they shall both be rejected; and if more per.
sons are designated on any ticket for any office
than are to be elected tor such Office, suct
part Of the ticket shall not be counted for an,
of them; but no ticket shall be lost from wan
of form, if the Board of Judges can determine
TO their satisfaction.
Sec. 35. As soon as all the votes are reaC
off and counted a certificate shall he drawn ur