Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-02-16
Approved November 81, 1864.

! lLs passage
Approved November q, 1864
AN ACT TO prevent illegal voting, and
in addition to chapter fifteen OF the
general statutes.
II is hereby enacted By the General -4sse,s,-
/ big of the State Of Vermont
| Sec. l. At any annual March meet
| ing in any town, any person may present
to the officer, who, in pursuance of the
Statute, shall call said meeting to order,
demand in writing signed by at least
twenty legal voters, in the following
form, to wit; We demand a ballot
/ with a record of the names of the per
sons voting" and thereupon vote
! shall be ordered by ballot for moderator,
and q 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 ballOting for reasona-
bic time, the presiding officer shall make
proclamation that the polls will be clos
ed in fifteen minutes thereafter and at
the expiration of that time the balloting
shall cease, and the seleCtmen and civil
authority present, shall sort and count
the votes, and the person having the
greateet number Of votes shall be de.
clared to be the moderator of that and
all future town meetings during the
year ensuing.
Sec. 3. Should no person receive the
greatest number Of votes for moderator
further ballot may be had under the
provisions of this act, or in the ordinary
method as now regulated by statute,
until moderator shall be elected.
Sec. 4. When moderator shah have
been elected under the provisions Of this
act, or in the ordinary method as now
regulated by statute, any person may
present to the moderator a demand in
writing, signed by at least twenty legal
voters, in the following form, to wit:
We demand ballot with the record
OF the names OF the persons voting for
the following town officers, 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,
y Three fence viewers,
Three grand jurors,
One inspector of leather,
One town agent, and
One superintendent Of common
schools"
And thereupon the moderator shall Or
der ballot with such record, and the
names of the persons voted for shall be
written or printed on one ballot under
the designation of the Office they are in
tended TO fill.
Sec. 8. After giving reasonable time
10 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 min
utes, if any voter shall demand addi-
tlonal time to deposit ballots, the mode
rator shall proclaim that balloting will |
peremptOrily cease in fifteen, minutes at
the expiration of which time the mode
ratOr and selectmen and civil authority,
shall proceed to cut apart, sort and |
count the votes given for the respective
offices, and the person receiving the |
greatest number Of votes for the rpspec-
tive named offices, shall be declared |
elected and their names shall be re !
corded In the town clerks Office, as the |
persons elected to their respective Off
ces for the year ensuing.
Bee. Q. Should there be an equal
number OF votes for any Of the officers
mentioned in section four of tails act, a
Pm fh Af lNa haH IL = 10,
visions Of this act, or in the ordinary
method SIS now regulated by statute,
until such office shall be filed by an
election.
Sec. Z. Any vacancy in any Of the
above named offices during the year may
be filled at auy legal town meeting
warned for that purpose, under the pro-
visions of this act
Sec. 8. The record Of the names of
the persons voting shall be filed In the |
town clerks Office, and the original re- |
cord or duly certified copy thereof, |
shalt be treated In all courts in this state |
as legal evidence of the fact that the !
persons whose rames appear upon said
record, did cast their ballots as indicat-
cd in said record; and all the provisions |
Of the Genera Statutes in regard 10 the !
rights, duties, and powers Of town off, |
GERS shall apply to the officers elected
under the provisions Of this act, and all
penalties for fraudulent ana illegal vot-
ing, or attempt 10 vote, or the distur-
bance of town meetings. shall apply TO
such persons as shall commit any of the
crimes or misdemeanors above specified.
Sec. 9. This act shall not apply to
towns having less than three thOusand