The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-12-30

1t is hereby enacted, &c.
Sec. l. So much of chapter fifteen ot
the general statutes as relates to the
election of 'sealers of weights and meas
ures'' is hereby repealed
| Approved, Nov. %, 1864.
An act to prevent illegal voting and in ad-
dition to chapter fifteen of the general
statutes
1t is hereby enacted, &c.
See. l. AT any annual March meeting
in any town, any person may present TO
the officer, who in pursuance of the stat
ute, shall call said meeting to order, de-
mand in writing signed by at least twenty
legal voters in the following form, to wit {:
"We demand ballot with the names of
the persons voting" and thereupon a vote
shall be ordered by ballot for moderator,
and a record shall be made of the names
of the persons voting, by the town clerk,
or any one of the selectmen or civil au-
thority present designated by said town
clerk.
Sec. 2. After ballotting for reasona-
bic time, the presiding officer shall make
proclamation that the polls will be closed
in fifteen minutes thereafter, and at the
expiration of that time the balloting shall
cease, and the selectmen and civil author
ity present, shall sort and count the votes,
and the person having the largest number
of votes, shall be declared to be the mod
orator of that and all future town meet
ings during the year ensuing.
Sec. ). Should no person receive the
greatest number of votes for moderator, a
further ballot may be had under the pro-
visions of this act. or in the ordinary
method as now regulated by statute, until
moderator shall be elected.
Sec. 4. When a moderator shall have
been elected under the provisions of this
act, or in the ordinary method as now
regulated by statute, any person may pre-
sent to the moderator demand in writing
signed by at least twenty legal voters, in
the following form, to wit: I'VE demand
ballot with record of the names of the
persons voting for the following town Off
GERS, to wit:
One town clerk,
Three selectmen,
One town treasurer
One overseer of the poor,
One first constable (who shall be col
lector of taxes),
Three listers or assessors,
Three auditors,
One trustee of public moneys,
Three fence viewers,
Three grand jurors.
One inspector of leather.
One town agent, and
One superintendent of common schools"
And thereupon the moderator shall order
a ballot with such record. and the names
of the persons voted for shall be written
or printed on one ballot under the desig-
nation of the office they are intended to
fill
Sec j. After giving reasonable time
to the voters to deposit their ballots, the
moderator shall proclaim that the balloting
will cease in fifteen minutes, and at the
expiration of said fifteen minutes, if any
person shall demand additional time TO
deposit ballots, the moderator shall pro-
claim that balloting will peremptorily
cease in fifteen minutes, at the expiration
of which time the moderator, selectmen
and civil authority, shall proceed to cut
apart, sort and count the votes given for
the respective offices, and the person re-
ceiving the greatest number of votes for
the respective named offices shall be de-
clared elected. and their names shall be
recorded in the town clerks office, as the
persons elected to their respective offices
for the year ensuing
Sec 6. Should there be an equal num-
ber of votes for any of the officers men-
toned in section four of this act, a further
ballot may be had under the provisions of
this act, or in the ordinary method as di-
rected by statute, until such office shall
be filled by an election.
Sec. I. Any vacancy in any of the
above named offices during the year may
be filled at any legal town meeting named
for that purpose under the provisions of
this act.
Sec. 8. The record of the names of the
persons voting shall be filed in the office,
and the original record or a duly certified
copy thereof shall be treated in all courts
in this state as legal evidence of the fact.
that the persons whose names appear up
on said record, did cast their ballot as in
dicated in said record, and all the provi-
visions of the general statutes in regard to
the rights, duties and powers of town Off
GERS shall apply to the officers elected un-
der the provisions of this act, and all pen
alties for fraudulent and illegal voting, or
attempt to vote, or the disturbances of
town meetings, shall apply to such per-
sons as shall commit any of the crimes or
misdemeanors above specified.
Sec. O. This act shall not apply to
towns having less than three thousand five
hundred inhabitants by the last United
States consul report, and the provisions Of
this act shall not be enforced in any town,
until said town shall vote to accept the
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