New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-10-29
THE WEEKLY REPUBLICAN
LAWS OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
PUBLISHED BY A UrHoR1TY.I
NO. 1G4.
AN ACT

AN ACT ~
Relative to Elections in the State of Lon
isisna, and to enforce Article one Humid
red and Three of the Constitution OF tn
State.
SECTION l. Be it enacted by the Senat
and House of Representatives of the Stat,
of Louisiana in General Assembly convened
That elections for Representatives in thu
General Assembly shall be held on the frs
Monday of November, one thousand eigh
hundred and seventy, and every two YEAR
place of Senators in the General Assembly
whose terms of service shall have expired
shall be held at the same time as hereiI
provided for the election of Representa-
tives.
SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
in the years in which Governor and
Lieutenant Governor are to be elected
the election for such officers shall be held at
The time and place herein provided for the
election of Senators and representatives..
SEC. 3. Be il further enacted, ETC., That
elections for Sheriffs and Coroners of the
several parishes of this State shall be held at
the same time herein before provided for
the election OF members Of the General As.
sembly.
SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, etc, That
elections shall be held in each parish at the
several election precincts now or hereafter
to be established by law, until otherwise
directed by the Supervisors of Registration.
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted etc.. That
all elections shall be completed in one day,
and the polls shall be kept open at each
precinct from the hour of seven il the
morning until six in the afternoon.
SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
the elections at each precinct shall be pre-
sided over by three Commissioners of Elec'
ton, to be appointed by the Supervisors
Of Registration, who shall, before enter
ing, upon the dischargeof their duties, take
and subscribe the oath or oaths prescribed
for State officers. Should only one of the
Commissioners appointed be present, he
shall Except in such cases as the Commits
sioners of Election are hereinafter required
to close the polls), appoint another and
both together shall appoint third, and the
commissioners SO appointed shall take the
oath, and perform all the duties of Com
missioners OF Election in the same manner
as if they had been appointed by the Super
yisors OF Registration.
SEC. T. Be it further enacted, etc, That
the Commissioners of Election shall preserve
order and decorum at the election and
shall have power to commit to prison any
disorderly person for term not to extend
beyond the hour of closing the polls. pro.
vided he be permitted to vote before being
imprisoned.
Any person or persons who skall obstruct
hinder, or by violence OF threats of violence,
abusive language, or other species of intimi-
dation, interfere with a Supervisor of Regis
tration or Commissioner of Election, or with
any person or persons duly appointed to
execute the orders of the Supervisors Of
Registration or Commissioners of Election,
IN the discharge of their duties shall be
deemed guilty of q misdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof, shall be punished by a |
line not exceeding three hundred dollars |
nor less than one hundred dollars, and by |
imprisonment for period not exceeding |
Ihree months nor less than one month.
SEC. g. Be il further enacted ETC., That !
IN any parish, precinct, ward, city or town |
In which on any day of election there shall |
De any riot, tumult, acts of violence or |
armed disturbance at or near the polls.
which riot, tumult. acts of violence or armed |
disturbance shall prevent or tend to prevent
a fair, peaceable and full vote of all the |
qualified electors of said parish, precinct.
ward, city or town, it ehall be the duty of
the commissioners Of Election, or the Super
yisors Of Registration for the said parish or
district, to continue to hold and complete the
election by them begun, if possible, and to
make clear and fun statement in duplicate
OF all the facts relating thereto, and as to the
effect such riot, tumult, acts of violence. or
armed disturbance had or might have had
IN changing, altering or modifying the re-
suit OF the election, one copy Of which they
shall transmit to the Governor, and the
otner TO the Judge Of the District Court in
Orleans, and one to one of the Judges of the
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth or Seventh Distriet
Courts of New Orleans.
And If the Governor shall deem the al1e
cations made in said statement sufficient if
true to inYalidate the election of any person
OF persons who may appear by reason of the
vote returned from said parish, ward, pre-
clnct, city or town to have been chosen to
any Office or offices, he shall notify at once
1he Judge Aforesaid of the same, and said
Judge shall at once proceed to make in
QUESTION thereof summarily and without
awaiting the coming Of a term of court In |,
sal1 parish, II 1t be in vacation, and if he
pc noidlng court in another part of his dis
trlet, he shall then and there make such
nqnlsltlon, OF may repair to such parish TO
make ~, and may summon any person or
persons to come before him to give testi.
mony, and to bring with them any papers
or records giving light theraou. ant he
shall hear and determine such aues.
tions as may arise therein in preference
to all other causes before him. Ard
the said District Judge shall examine
into the allegations made in said statement
Dy said Supervisors and Commissioner of
Elections as 10 how far they are true. and
how far untrue, aud whether the acts done
ula or DID not cause the election TO be deter.
mined contrary to the real will Of the voters
who did and those who we're DESTROYS to
vote az said election, but were prevented
iiOlh 80 uolhg1 ana OF this he shall cause a
record 70 be made in the minutes ofthe Dis
trict Courts Of the parish Ia question. and
transmit duplicate copy TO the Governor
VINO, u the finding Of the Court is that the
eiectQn was inYalided by reason Of said I'M
awful acts, may disregard all returns made
nom said invalidated parish, ward, pre-
enact .o"n o. city, and II the same were
part only Of the constituency Of an offcer
70 De elected award commission accord.
lngig % whom would be elected II THOSE re- I
larna pc thrown out, or if such officer be
solely elected BY the parish or subdivision
complained o. them, the Governor shall or i
ueI new election eDd not more than If \ j
ieen nor less than eight DAYS notice az the !
election shall be given By the Returning | 7
Dmctr q the parish BY publication, ct least /
twice. p tWo OF more newspapers. 81 there !
De such published In the rsriuH OF civ. | :,
nd be posted UP In at Il ast four public | !
llaees therein " shall be the right u these /