American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-09-14
Attest, j. X,
Il. NJ, Clerks.
RETURNS OF THE ELECTION,

RETURNS OF THE ELECTION.
SEC II. After canvassing the votes in
manner aforesaid, the judges shall put in
AN envelope one of thel poll-books,. with
IFS tally list. and return of each city or
county. together with the tickets, and
transmit the same, properly sealedup, and
directed through the nearest post office or
by express as soon as possible thereafter,
to the prothonotary of the court of COM
mon pleas of the city or county in which
such electors would have voted if not in
the military service aforesaid, (being the
city OF county for which the polI-book was
kept, and the other poll book of said city
or county, enclosed in an envelope, and
sealed as aforesaid and properly directed,
shah de delivered to one of the commits
sioners hereinafter to be provided for, if
such commissioner calls for the same in
ten days, and if not 50 called for the same
shall be transmitted by mailo by express as
soon as possible thereafter to the Secreta-
ry of the Commonwealth, who shall care
fully preserve the same, and on demand
of the proper prothonotary deliver to said
prothonotary under his hand and official
seal certified copy of the return Of votes
so transmitted to and received by him for
said city or county of which the demand
ant is prothono'ary.
SEC. IS. 1t shall be the duty of the
prothonotary of the county, to whom such
returns shall be made to deliver to the
return judges of the same county copy,
certified under his hand and seal, of the
return of votes so transmitted to him by the
Judges of the election as aforesaid or as
officially certified by the secretary of the
Commonwealth as aforesaid to said pro-
thonotary.
WHEN RETURN JUICES TO MEET.
SEC. 10. The return judges, of the sew
eral counties, shall adjourn to meet at the
places, now directed by law, on the third
Friday, after any general or presidential
election, for the purpose of counting the
soldiers vote; and when two or more
counties are connected in the election, the
meeting of the judges, from each county,
shall be postponed, in such case, until the
Friday following
SEC. 20. The return judges so met shall
include in their enumeration the votes so
returned, and thereupon shall proceed in
all respects in the like manner as is pro-
vided by law in cases where all the votes
shall have been given at the usual place
of election Proyjaed, That the several
courts of this commeiiwealth shall have
the same power and authority, to investi-
gate, and determine, all questions of fraud
or illegality, in relation to the voting of
the soldiers, as are now vested in said
courts, with regard to questions of fraud
and illegality, arising from the voting of
persons, not in military service, under the
present laws relating thereto.
SEC 81. In elections for electors of
President and Vice President Of the Uni
ted States, it shall be the duty of the See
retary of the Commonwealth to lay be
fore the Governor all returns received by
him from any election as aforesaid, who
shall compare the same with the county
returns, and add thereto all such returns as
shall appear on such comparison not to be
contained in said county returns, in every
case where said military returns for such
counties shall have been received by said
Secretary at period too late for trans
mitting them to the proper prothonotary,
in time for the action of the judges of the
said counties.
SEC. D. All said elections shall be sub
ject to contest in the same manner as is
now provided by law, and in all cases of
contested elections all legal returns which
shall have been bona .fde forwarded by
said judges in the manner hereinbefore
presbribed, shall be counted and estima-
ted, although the same may not have ar
rived or been received by the proper Off
GERS to be counted and estimated in the
manner hereinbefore directed before issu-
ing the certificates Of election to the per-
sons appearing to have maj ority of the
votes then received, and the said returns
shall be subject to all such objections as
other returns are liable to when received
in due time.
PROVIDING BLANKS, POLLS, ETC.
SEC. 23 1t shall be the duty of the
Secretary of the Commonwealth to cause
to be printed sufficient number of cop
les of this act, with such extracts from
the general election law as shall be deem
ed important to accompany the same, and
blank forms of poll-books, with tally lists
and returns as prescribed in this act, which
with the necessary postage stamps to. de-
fray expenses and postage on returns,
shall, in sufficient time before and such
election, be forwarded by said Secretary
at the expense of the commonwealth, by
commissioners, or otherwise, as shall be
deemed most certain to insure delivery
thereof, to the captain, or commanding
officer, of each company, or in case of de-
tached voters, to the officer having charge
of the post, or hospital, who shall retain
the same until the day of election, and
then deliver the same to the judges elect
ed, as provided in this act Pr0vided,
That no election shall be inyalidated, by
reason of the neglect, or failure, of the
said secretary to cause the delivery of said
poll-books to the proper persons, as afore-
said.
APPOINTMENT AND DUTY OF ELECTION
COMMISSIONERS.
Sec. "a. That for the purpose of more