Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1868-03-21
Hard to love our enemies.
PRINIARYELECTTON LAW.


I'm .4ct to protect the Elections Of voluntary
political associations, and to puRnish
frauds thereon.
[Approved March 2f, 1861
The People of the State of California,
represented in Senate and assembly. do en-
act as folio,Cs:
SECTION l. All elections hereafter to be
holden by any voluntary political associa-
tion or party in this State, for any delegates
or managing committee, or for the nomina-
tion of candidates for public office, may be
called or ordered by published notice, which
shall state the purpose, time. manner, condi-
tions, together with the place or places of
holding such elections; also the authority
by which the cali or notice is published, and
the person shall ba named therein who is to
supervise or preside at each poll where such
election is to be holden and the said person
shall be legal voter of the township, pre-
cinct. ward. or election district for which he
is named. Said notice shall likewise declare
the qualifications of the persons to vote at
such elections provided, that such prescrib-
ed qualifications shall not be inconsistent
with those expressed in this Act.
Sec 2. The notice required by section one
of this Act shall be published in some news
paper or papers printed in the district, ward,
precinct, township, city, or county, for
which the election is called, and shall be
posted in at least three public places in the
polling precincts of such election at least
five days prior thereto providing, if there
be no newspaper published in the district or
county, then the newspaper publication may
be omitted.
| SEC. 8. The person named as Supervisor
in the notice required by section one of this
Act, or any person, in his absence or refusal
to serve, assuming or chosen to be such Su-
pervisor Of the election aforesaid, shall first
be sworn by some officer authorized to ad-
minister oaths. or by some resident freehold
er and legally qualified voter of the precinct
ward, or district, in presence of at least two
witnesses of like qualifications, that he is q
legal voter of the precinct, ward, or district
in which such election is to be held. and that
lie will correctly and faithfully conduct such
election, protect it against all fraud and un.
fairness, carefully and truly canvass and re-
port all votes cast thereat in such manner as
may be required by the authority appointing
the election, and he shall appoint such as
sistants as shall be necessary to receive and
take account of the votes cast; prcuided
that such assistants shall be reputable citi
zens and legally qualified electors of The
township, precinct, ward, or district. as the
case may be. And any violation Of the pro
visions of this section shall be deemed a mis-
demeanor, aud shall. on conviction, subject
the offender to punishment by fine, not les'
than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars
or by imprisonment in the county Jail no
more than six months, or by both such flint
and imprisonment.
SEC. 4. 1t shall be the duty of the Super
visor OF such election to entertain objections
made by any qualified elector under sale
published call or notice to any vote that may
be offered, on the ground that the person of
fering it is not entitled to vote under th
terms of the said call for the said election
or that he is not citizen of the United
States, legal resident and voter of tn,
election precinct, ward, township. or district
or that he has voted before at that place o.
some other on that day in the same election
and it shall be the duty of such Supervisor
ifsuch objection be not Withdrawn, to admin
lister to the person so offering to vote an oatl
or affirmation to the general effect that h
will truly testify as to all matters relating t.
his said qualifications under said published
call. his residence, citizenship of the United
States, and whether he has voted at that o
other place on that day at such election.
shall then be the duty of the Supervisor t.
interrogate the person SO objected to as Il
all the matters in particular upon which sucl
objection was made, and generally as to al
of said qualifications II the person so OBJ
jected to shall refuse to answer such cues
tions after said oath shall have been admin
lstered, it shall be the duty of the Supervise
to reject such vote But if such oath be takel
and such questions be answered satisfactori
ly. it shall be the duty of the Supervisor t.
admit the vote sworn to be qualified accord
ing to the terms of the call and the provis
ions of this Act. And any violation of tn
provisions of this section by the Supervise
shall be deemed a misdemeanor, and shall
on conviction, subject him to punishment a
prescribed in section three of this Act. An,
any person who shall, upon taking sucl
oath and under the examination herein au
thorized, wilfully make false statement t,
matter pertinent and material in such ex
animation, shall be deemed guilty Of tn
crime of perjury. and, on conviction, be pun
ished as prescribed by law.
Sec. 5. Any person who is not citizel
of the United States and qualified to vote il
the county wherein the election is held q
the next coming State, county, or municipa
election, who shall vote at an election helt
under the provisions Of this Act after objec
tions made as specified in section four, o.
any person who shall vote more than ono
at the same or different precincts or polls OF
the same day and in the same election
whether such objection be made or not, shal
be deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and OIL
conviction thereof, shall be punished as pro
vided in section three of this Act.
SEC. 6. Any voluntary political association
or party that shall elect to invoke tile pro
lection and subject itself to the provision
of this Act, shall at the time of the pub.ica
tion Of notice there provided for in section
one, declare that such election therein callet
will be held in pursuance Of and subject t,
the provisions of this Act, under the it'll
of the Primary Election Law and in tn
event such notice last aforesaid shall be pub
lished, and not otherwise, the provisions o
this Act shall be applicable and in force il
respect to such election.
Sec. Z. This Act shall take effect aud be il
force from and after its passage, and no ex
pense shall be incurred to the county o
State in the conduct of elections under it
provisions.