The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-24


same responsibilities, as the regularly ap-
| pointed commissioners but in no case shall
the election at any polling place fail if there
/ be one commissioner present, who in that
case will cause the polls to be opened, ap.
point the necessary writers or clerks, and
conduct the election in accordance with the
provisions Of this order.
Fourtccnth-At each polling place two
writers or clerks will be appointed by the
commissioners, each of whom shall have
charge Of separate poll-list, on which he
| shall enter the name Of every voter whose
| ballots have been accepted by the commits
sioncrs. and shall perform during the cleo
ton the counting of the ballots and making
up the rcturns-such other clerical duties
as may be dcvolycd upon him by the COM
missioncrs. At polling places where the
| number Of votes to be pollcd exceeds two
hundred an additional clerk may be APP
| pointed if the commissioners should con-
| slider it necessary, whose duty it shall he to
register the certificates Of registration and
atiidavits in the cases provided for by sec
| ton 10, and perform such other clerical
duties a may be dcvolvcd upon him by the
| commissioners. Before entering upon their
duties the clerks shall be sworn to the faith
| full and impartial discharge of their duties.
Fiftecnh-The election will he held in
| each registration precinct (magisterial dis
| trict) Of counties and ward Of cities ut the
place of registration, unless the number OF
registered voters at any one of said places
| Of registration should exceed four hundred,
| in which case such additional polling places
as may be necessary will be selected and
| to this end, at the first meeting Of the Boards
of Registration under this order each regis
| tration precinct (magistcrial district or city
ward) which at the last revision of rcgiStra-
| ton October, 1867 J contained more than
| four hundred registered voters will he diyi-
ded into two or more election precincts, so
| as to equalize as nearly az possible the num-
Der Of voters in each; and polling place
will be selected for each which shall be as
nearly central as may be consistent with
| the convenience of the voters in reaching
it. Public notice, defining the boundaries
| or limits Of each Of the precincts so cStab-
lshcd, and designating the polling place for
each. will Immediately he given, and will
be posted in at least five Of the most public
places of each of the precincts so cstab-
| lishcd As soon as the revision Of rc@iStra-
ton is completed the Boards of Rcgistra-
ton will cause Il copy of the registration
lists to be prepared and furnished to the
commissioners of election at each of the
separate polling places in their registration
precinct.
Voters are required to vote ut the polling
place established for the polling precinct
within the limits Of which they reside but
| they will be allowed to vote at any other
polling place within the limits OF the regis
iration precinct upon showing to the salts
faction of the commissioners that 10y rea-
son Of want of notice or any other sufficient
cause they failed tovote at the proper place.
.S3Ltcenth-Thc vote will he by ballot, and
no names, numbers, or marks, by the
vote might be disclosed will be placed on
| the outside of any ballot. Every person
presenting Il ballot or ballots ut the polls
| shall announce his name, and if, upon cX-
animation, it is found that he has been re-
giStcrcd rs Il voter, one Of the commission
| crS shall receive his ballot or ballots and,
without opening them or allowing them to
| ne opened or examined, will deposit them
| in the ballot-box. and the name Of the voter
| shall then be entered by each clerk in the
| poll list under his charge. No ballots Will
| be received from persons who have not been
properly registered, except in cases where
| The name Of the person applying to vote has
| been incorrectly recorded on the rcglstr;t-
| ton lists. in which case. if the officer con-
| Quoting the election is satisfied. either from
| his personal knowledge or from the tc>tl-
mony of credible witnesses. that the person
was actually registered, then his vote shall
| he received and his name entered on the
poll list and checked on the registration list.
Blanks for poll lists will be furnished, up
on which the names OF all persons voting III
| the election will be entered.
cgistration is evidence OF
| the right to vote, and challenges at the polls
| are allowed only so far rs may be necessary
| to prevent repeating or fraudulent persona
| lions Of duly registered voters. TO the end
| that the right to challenge may not be made
| the means of obstructing or hindcring the
| election, two persons may be selected from
| each political party to act as ch.llcngcrS at
| each polling place, 10y or through whom all
| challenges shall be made. They must be re-
| gistcrcd voters, and known to the commits
| SioncrS as respectable and responsible citi-
Zcns. Whenever any person challenged for
| identity, whose name is found upon the re-
| ~iStration lists, is known to any one OF the
| commissioners to be the person he repre-
| >cnts himself to be. his vote shall be admit
| ted but if lie he not so known, one OF the
| commissioners shall administer the follow
| Ing oath /: A." \ OH do swear that your name Is
| lhcrc the name announced shall be lnScrtcd)
| and that in such name you were duly regis
| tered rs aYOtcr of the e. election district
| and - precinct, and that you arc tn"
| identical person YOU so represent yourself
| to be-" If he be challenged for having al
| ready voted, the commissioner shall admin
| lister the following oath " You do swear
| that YOU have not voted at this election at
| his or any other polling place" Ii any per-
son so challenged shall refuse to take the
oath so rendered his vote shall be rejected,
but if he take it his vote shall be admitted, ;
but the fact and cause Of the challenge shall
| be noted on the poll lists opposite his name.
Eightecmh-Thc polls shall be opened on
the day of election at each voting place at
sunrise, and closed 1T sunrise, and shall he
kept open during these hours without inter-
mission or adjournment 4: Provided, That ii
the electors who appear at any place OF
voting cannot lie pollcd before that hour,
then the polls may be kept open unit! III l..
NJ, if the commissioners should consider II
necessary.
Observation-Disclosures the provision OF the
lst section of the law OF February -, lSbS,
that sat the election i'll which the adoption
or rejection Of any constitution Is submitted
any person duly registered III the state may
vote in the election district where he oilers
TO vote, when he has resided therein for ten
DAYS next preceding such election, upon
presentation Of his certificate OF registration,
his affidavit, or other satisfactory evidence,
under such regulations rs the district com
mandcrs NAV prescribc,' any duly register
ed voters of the State will be allowed to vote
in any district upon presentation OF his Ger
tificate of registration accompanied by his
affidavit that he has resided in said district
| at least ten days preceding the day OF cleo
ton, and that he has not already voted ut
this election. In default of the certificate OF
registration. the affidavit OF the voter must
set forth the fact that he was duly register
ed. and the name of the county and precinct
in which he was so registered. In doubtful
cases The registrars commissioners of cleo
tons shall require such additional evidence
as may he necessary to satisfy them that the
applicant is entitled to vote under the pro-
visions Of the law above cited.