The Shasta courier., 1864-10-15
ELECTION LAWS.
ofoualifcations and Disabaitiesef Of Electors

of Qualifications and OtsG0H1teso oJ EtectoTS.
src 10. Every white male citizen Of the
United States and every white male citizen OF
Mexico who shall have been elected to become
q citizen OF the United States under the treaty
of neace exchanged and ratified af Queretaro,
on the 3oth of May, l648, of the age Of twenty
one years, who shall have been resident of the
State six months next proceeding the election,
and the county or district in which he claims
his vote, thirty days. shall be entitled to vote
r., all elections which are 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 a
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 this
State or the United States, or Of the high seas; !;
nor while a student of seminary of learning;
nor while kept at an almshouse or other asy-
lurn, nor while confined in any public prison.
SEC. H. No idiot or insane person, or per-
sons convicted Of any infamous crime, shall be
entitled to the privileges of an eiector
SEC. i3. 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. It shall be the duty of each Inspec-
tor to be at the place where the polls ara 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 place where the polls are
to be opened, may appoint an Inspector for the
precinct.
SEC. ls. The Board of Inspectors for each
precinct shall, before the time of opening the
polls, oppoint two suitable persons as to act
Clerks.
SEC. 49, Before any election shall be open
ed, the Inspector, Judges and Clerks shall each.
before any officer authorized to administer oathss
take an oath that he will faithfully and impair
tally discharge the duties assigned him by law.
Ifthere is no person present authorized to ad-
minister oaihs, the Inspector shall administer
the same 10 the Judges and Clerks, and one OF
the Judges shall then administer the oath to the
Inspector.
SEC. 2o 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,
OF 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. o. 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 a re-
cess of one hour at any time they may think
proper during the day before three o'clock in
the afternoon.
SEC %. 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.
0ffa t0 vofa
the Inspector shall pronounce his name in an
audible voice. and if there be no objection to
the qualification of such person as an elector,
shall receive his ballot, aud in the presence oi
the other Judges put the same, without being
opened or examined, into the ballot box.
SEC. 26 The name of each eector whose bal
lot has thus been received shall be immediate
" entered by each Clerk in the column Of his
poll list, headed names of vcters,' numbering
each name in the additional column, as it is IT,
ken down, so that it may be seen at any time
whether the two lists agree.
SIC. 81. Any person offering to vote may bt
challenged as unqualified, by the Inspector. ol
either ofthe Judges, or by any legal voter; and
it shall, in all cases. be the duty of the lnspec
tor and each of the Judges to challenge an,
person offering to vote whom he shall know OF
suspect not to be duly qualified as an elector.
Proceedings on Challenge.
Section l. Section twenty eight of said Act i
amended to read as follows:
Section IS. If any person offering to vote n
any election shall be challenged in relation to hi
right to vote at that election, the Board of Judge
shall declare to him the qualifications of elector
and the Inspector ono of the Judges shall teDde
to him the following preliminary oath;
''You do affirm, that you viii
fully aud truly answer all such questions as shal
be put to you touching your place of residence ant
qualifications eleotor 2?
The Inspector or of the Judges shall thel
proc ,ei to question the person challenged in rela
tion to his name, his then place of residence, hov
long be has resided in the township and county
where bis last place of residence was also to h;
citizenship and whether native naturalize
citizen, and the latter, when. where, and in wha
Court, or before what officer he naturalized, an
all such other questions as shall tend to test hi
qualifications to citizenship and right to vote.
Sec 2. If any person shall refuse to take tn
said preliminary oath when rendered, or to an
any and all pertinent questions to his quail
ifcations, his vote shall be rejected and if tn
Board of Judges satisfied, from his answers a
aforesaid, that such person Is not legal voter
they shall reject his vote.
Sec. 8. If such person shall still insist that he
entitled to vote, and the Board of Judges find NJ
cause to reject his vote under the preliminary ex
animation, and the challenge shall not be with
drawn, he shall not be entitled to vote unless b,
-
Inspector or one ofthe Judges, viz:
You do swear for affirm, the case may be
that you citizen of the United States that yol
areof tho age Of twenty-one years according to tn,
best of yot.. knowledge and belief, that you hav,
resided in this State six months next preceding
this election, and in this county, township. oil
ward. as the case may be,) thirty days, and thai
you have not voted this dayY'
And in case the person offering to vote produce
certified transcript of the records of Court of
petent jurisdiction, admitting him to citizenship
duly attested by the Clerk thereof as evidence Of
his right to vote, and the pnrson producing the
same is unknown to the Board of Judges be shall
make oath that he is the person therein named.
Sec f. If any person challenged as unqualified
shall be guiley of wiful and corrupt false swearing
or affirming in taking any oath or afdPnation pre-
scribed by this Act, such person shall be adjuJ Jged
guilty of wilfui and corrupt perjury.
Sec. 5. Every person who shall wilfully and
corruptly procure any person to swear affirm
falsely as aforesaid shall be adudged guilty of sub
ornation of perjury. and shall upon conviction
thereof suffer the punishment directed by law in
cases of wilful and corrupt perjury.
Sec 6. Every person who shah procure, aid as
sst counsel advise another give or offer his
vote at any general special election, knowhs
that the person is not duly qualified to VOTE shal
on conviction be adjudged guilty of a misdemcanor
more than five hundred dollars, ar Imprisonment
not lass han two more than six months or b,
both such fine and imprisonment, as the Court may
direct.
Sec. Z. The Board of Judges of Election shall
keep minute OF their proceedings in respect to tn,
challenging ana administering of oaths to person.
offering to vote, (which shall be entered by one