The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-23
Tha Election Laws.

According to the city charter tnere are
three classes of persons qualified 70 vote
in the municipal election: First every
white male citizen aged twenty-o years,
or upwards, and who for at least one
year preceding the election shall have
been a housekeeper or the head of a
family resident in the city. Second,
every person qualified to vote for men,
bers of the Legislature. Third, every
white male citizen Of the State, aged
twenty-ono years or upwards, who, al
the time of the elections shall be the BONA
tide owner of any freehold estate within
the city, of the valueof at least hvehu
dred dollars tsee City Charter Section
page Is of the City Ordinance Book')
An act of the Legislature of West Viz
oinia, passed February p, 1864, provides
that all persons entitled tovotein munich
mi elections and who are necessarily
absent from the city or town Oh the day
Of the election in the service OF the
Trnited States or Of this State, may, at
anv time within twenty-five days next
preceding the election, enclose his oailo'
in an envelope or cover, and seal up the
s,ne ard write his signature "a hls own
proper hand on the outside OF SAID enVoi-
ono or csvor adding to his signature
some description OF designation OF the
service in which he is employed. II the
SIGNATURE be by mark it must DO attested
hT the nerson commanding the regiment,
.o,,,,ony. or detachment in which the
voter il employed. The envelope OF COW
pr mist I've addressed and transmitted TO
the officers experimenting the election
1T the place of voting at which the ao-
. ,.oter "a entitled to vote. This en-
velope and its enclosure shall DO proouc-
oil 1t the polls and if the officers Of the
oloc+ion or two of them, are satisfied
that the signature or mark IS genuine
o,d chat the persen whose signature 1t
g would, if present, be entitled to vote
m tbe said polls, they shall open the en-
velope and, if single ballot he found
therein. they shall deposit the ballot In
the hnx. lust as though the person trans
hitting the ballot wero personally pres
emf giving his vote (see section a, chap
Ter y. acts of the Legislature OF West
VIRGINIA; second session Also section
X6.chapter 100 acts of the Legislature
first session. ..ar-'
In determining the residenes OF any
.ersou absent in the military, naval OF
uaIine service 1t is declared that his
,c,idanre is not changed by reason OF
Lis absence in tho service. but remains
IN tbs same place where it was at the
time Of bis entering into said service -
it is also provided that no person III the
military. naval or marine service OF the
limited States shall be deemed a resident
of ans oity, town. ward, or division, BY
reason of his being stationed thepoin.-
lSad Section 3, Chapter IL, acts OF tho
Legislaturo.of West VTginis' second ses-
sion)
The inspector who receives the ballot
sir,ll proclaim distinctly the name OF tho
p,rson offering il aud, If tho officers are
satisfied that the person Us entitled to
vote at that place at that election the
h,lInI Is TO no deposited In tho box ard
,he name of tho voter entered on the
noll-book. II tho ballot has beon re-
coived from a voter absent in the U. 5.
service, the word "absent" Is added to his
mama upon the book. As soon as posi-
bile after the polls are closed, the names
entered on the poll books are counted
and the number set down al the foot
Of tho lists. Tho box is then open
ed and the ballots arc read and
entered On tho tally papers, and Wien
aver the number of ballots opened Is
equal to the number of names upon the
rolL book, the excess of ballots in the box,
If there 10 any remaining in the box I'M
opened, shall he destroyed without OK
animation. (See sections 90 and %,
chapter I'D, iClS VI Va " -
VIRGINIA, frat SESSION. We call atten-
ton to these provisions of the law for the
reason that, III AT least ono OF the wards
of this city, the ballots received from alb
sent soldiers at the late Presidential
election, were not deposited IN the box
until aftSy ihe polls had been closed and the
ir7standers whoseriSht it is TO challenge
illegal votes, had gone away nom the
voting place.
Ifany person shall procure, or attempt
to procure, the admission OF Il false or al
tered ballot FOR the true ballot of arer-
son ABSENT in the United States service,
or shall procure or attempt to procure
the admission OF the ballot Of person
absent in the service. knowing that such
Derson is nor entitled to vote at that
election. OF that there is no suoh person
as the one from whom the ballot purportS
tocome, hcshall forfeit not less than thir
tv,nor more than one hundred, dollars for
each oflensc (See section 81, chapter
,lea, acts vt the Legislature Of WestNn