Weekly Trinity journal., 1864-11-05
ELECTION LAWS.
Extracts from Act to Regulate Elections

OF ou.LIFIc ATOMS DISABILITIES ILRcToRs
SEC. 10: Every white male citizen of the United
States, and every white male citizen of Mexico
who shall have been elected to become a citizen
of the United States under the treaty of peace
exchanged and ratified at Queretaro, the 30th
of May ls4s, of the age of twenty-one years,
who shall have been a resident of the State six
months next proceeding the election, and the
county or district which he claims his vote thirty
days shall be entitled to vote at all elections
which are now or hereafter may be authorized
by law.
SEC. IL. For the purpose of voting, no person
shall be deemed to have gained or lost n residence
by reason of his presence or absence in the SER
vice 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 while
student of any seminary of learning; nor while
kept at an almshouse or other asylum, nor while
confined in any public prison.
Sec. II. No idiot insane person, or persons
convicted of any infamous crime shall be entitled
to the privileges of an elector.
Sec. 10. A crime shall be deemed infamous
which is punishable by death or by imprison-
ment in the State Prison.
ALSO OF INSPECTORS
CLERKS 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 appointed,
from eight in the morning until sunset on the
day of the election. Should such Inspector not
appear at eight clock in the morning, the cleo
tors present at the place where the polls are to
be opened, may appoint an Inspector for the
precinct.
SEC 49, The Board of Inspectors for each
precinct shall before the time Of opening the
polls appoint two suitable persons to act as
Clerks.
SEC 10. 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 impartial
" discharge the duties assigned him by law
If there is no person present authorized 10 ao-
minister oaths, the Inspector shall then admins
ter the same to the Judges and Clerks, and one
of the Judges shall then administer the oath 10
the Inspector.
SEC. 20. The Inspector shall be Chairman of
the Board and after its organization shall nave
power to administer all necessary oaths, which
may be required in the progress OF the election
He shall also have power TO NIL any vacancy tha'
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 CHALLENGING.
SEC %. At all elections the polls shall be
opened at eight clock in the morning, and shall
continue open until sunset, at which time the
Judges shall close the polls propided, that the
Judges of the election may take recess of one
hour at any time they may think proper during
the day before three o clock in the afternoon.
SEC. o. The Board of Judges, before they
commence receiving ballots shall cause it to be
proclaimed aloud at the place of voting that the
polls are open.
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 eector, shall
receive his ballot, and in the presence of the
other Judges put the same without being opened
or examined. into the balOt-box.
SEC 90. The name of each elector whose bal
lot has thus been 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 1t is taken
down, sothat it may he seen at any time whether
the two lists agree.
SEC 27-Any person offering to vote may be
challenged as unqualified by the Inspector. or
either of the Judges or 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 qualified as an eector.
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 of an
elector.
SEC. %. If such person. shall insist that he is
entitled to vote, and the challenge snail not oe
withdrawn. he shall not be entitled to vote
unless he take the following oath, to be admin
istered by the Inspector or one OF the Judges,
viz:
"You do swear Tor affirm, as the case may
be that YOU are a citizen of the United States,
that YOU are of the age of twenty-one years, ac-
cording to the best of your knowledge and be-
lief, that you have resided in this State SIX
months next preceding this election, and that
YOU have not voted this day.
Upon taking which oath, he shall be entitled
to vote for all State officers and if he offer to
vote for any district, county or township officer
he shall. in addition, thereto, make oath that
he has resided in such district county or town
shin, las the case may be,) thirty days.
SEC 81. If the vote of any person be chal
lenred on the ground that he has been convicted
of an Infamous crime, or DISTINGUISHED by any
Court of competent jurisdiction, he shall not be
required to answer any questions respecting
such aledged 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 81 When the polls are closed, proclama-
ton thereof shall be made at the place of voting,
and no votes shall be afterwards received.
or COUNTING AND VOTE,
ELECTIONS AND OF CERTIFICATES OF 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 count
ing the votes, and in 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 the ballots shall in all cases be
made public.
The ballots shall be taken out carefully, one
by one, by the Inspector 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
filled, and the name Of each person voted for
such office, and shall keep the number of votes
by tallies as they read aloud by the Inspector
or Judge. The counting of the votes shall be
continued without adjournment until all are
counted.
Sec. 81. If two tickets are folded together,
they shall both be rejected and if more persons
are designated on any ticket for any Office than
are to be elected for such Office, such part of the
ticket shall not be counted for any of them but
no ticket shall be lost for want of form. if the
Board of Judges can determine to their satisfac-
ton.
SEC. IS. As soon as all the votes are read OH
and counted, . certificate shall be drawn up on