New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-11-26
LAWS or THE STATE or LOUISIANA
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.
AN ACT

TO regulate the conduct and to maintain
the freedom and purity reflections: to pre-
scribe the mode of making returns there
of; to provide for the election of return
ing officers, and defining their powers and
dutiee; to prescribe the mode of entering
on the rolls Of the Senate and House OF
Representatives; and to enforce article
one hundred and three of the constitution.
SECTION !. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives OF the State
of Louisiana in General Assembly convened,
That all elections for State, parish and judi
cial officers, members of the General AS
semhlv and for members of Congress, shall
he held on the first Monday in November;
and said election shall be styled the gen
eral elections. They shall be held in the
manner and form and subject 20 the fegul@-
lions hereinafter prescribed and no other.
SEC e. BE il further enacted, etc, Ahat
five persons, so be elected by che Senate
from oil political parties shalt be ehe re
turning officers for all elections in the State,
a majority of whom shall constitute quo
rum, and have power to make Che returns
of all elections On case of any vacancy by
death, resignation, or otherwise, by either
of the board then the vacancy shall be
flied by the residue Of the board OF re
turning officers. The returning officers officers
shall, after each election, before entering
on their duties, take and subscribe 70 the
following oath before o judge OF the SD
prome or any district court:
4, A. H., do solennly swear For affirfn)
that viii faithfully and diligently perform
the duties Of o returning officer as pre-
scribed by law, that Z will carefully and
honestly canvass and compile the statements
of the votes, and make a true and correct
geturn of Che election. 80 help me GOD
Within ten days alter the closing OF The
election said returning officers shall meet
in New Orleans to canvass and compile the
statement of votes made by the comm's-
sioners of election, and make returns OF the
election to the Secretary OF state, 4hey
shall contiaue in session until such returns
have been compiled Che presiding officer
shall, at such meeting, open IL the presence
Of the said returning officers. She state
ments Of the commissioners or election, ana
the said returning officers shall, from said
statements, canvass and compile Che returns
of the election in duplicates; one copy OF such
returns they shall file in the Office OF the Sec
petary of State and of one copy they shall
make public proclamation by printing IN
the official journal and such 0theg
newspapers as they may deem proper, de-
elaring the names OF all persons and officers
BOted for, the number OF votes lot each
person and che names OF The persons who
have been duly and lawfully elected. bhe
return of che election thus made and pro
mulgatG6 shall be prima facie evidence IN
ak courts Of Justice and before all civil
officers until see aside after q contest
according 10 law, Of the right Of any person
named therein to hold and exercise the
o4fics 10 which he shall by such return be
declared elected Yhe Governor shall,
within thisty days thereafter, issue com
missions to all Offices thus declared elected'
whe are required by Jaw to be COM
missioned.
SEC. ,. BE IL further enacted, etc, That
in such canvass and compilation The return
ing officers shall observe the following Or
der: Yhey shall compile first the state
fnenes from all polls or voting places az
which there shall have been q tair, tree and
Daaceable registration and election. When
ever, from any poll or voting place. there
shall be received the statement OF any su-
Of registration or commissioner OF
in form as required hE section
twenty-six OF this act. on affidavit of three
or more citizens, Of any riot, tumUl', acts Of
intimidation, armed disturbance,
bribery or corrupt influences, which pre-
vented, or tended to prevent. tair, free
and Deaceablc vote of ali qualified electors
entitled 20 vote at such poll or voting place
such returning officers shall no: canvass,
count or compile Che statement 0f votes
from such poll OY voting 2lace until the
= statements YIOn all oLLC1 4Jn&AN VI NSlAIS
places shall haze been canvassed and com
piled. The returning officers shall then pro
ceed 90 investigate the statements % riot. !
sumulS acts of violence Intimidation,
armed disturbance, bribery OF corrupt inttu- !
ances at any such poll or voting place; and !
f from the evidence Of such statement they |
shall be convinced that such Sl0t, tUmult: !
acts of violence, intimidation. armed dla-
yurtSancp bribery. or corrupt Influences did |
|, n
freedom .. the election az such poll or S0t- /.
ne place, OF did noe prevent g sufficient
humber Of qualified voters Shereac from !
registering OF voting 60 materially change
The result OF the election then, and not |
otherwise, said returning officers shall can
gasa and compile the vote Of such poll or
voting place with Shose previously can !
gassed and compiled; but if said returning |
officers shall not be fully satisfied thereof, !
Q shall be 9heiT duty to examine further |
testimony in regard thereto, and 20 this end |
hey shall nave power to send fer persons |
md papers. If. after such examination,
he eaid returning officers, shall DE con
rinced that said riot. SunUlt acts OF
violence, intimidation armed disturb !
.nce, bribery or corrupt influences !
lid materially Interfere with the purity and !
freedom of the election az sueA poll OF |
7oting place. or did prevent sufficient |
lUlnDcE OF Ius iudllIIcu $tCClpAS L4IV4tC%L |
rom registering and voting 20 materially !
,ha0ge the result of che election, then the
aid returning Officer shall not canvass or |
,ompile the statement of the votes OF such !
,oll or voting place, but shall exclude it |
rom their returns; provided, that any per |
on interested il said election BY reason Of !
icing a candidate for Office shall be allowed |
hearing before SAID returning officers upon |
making application within the time allowed |
or the forwarding OF the returns OF sad ,
lection,
SEC. I. Be il further enacted ere, That
lections for Representatives in General Az |
emily shall be held On the first Monday of |
November, one thousand eight hundred and |
and every two years thereaf
err and all elections to supply the place OF !
senator's in the General Assembly, whose |
ERIN of service shall! have expired, shall |
70 held at Che same time as herein pro |
ided for the election OF Representatives. |
SEC ). BE it further enacted, etc, That |
II elections shall be held in each parish at
he several election polls or voting places /.
o be established &s is hereinafter pre- I
cribeS.
SEC. 6. Be il further enacted, etc. That
II elections shall be completed in one day, |
nd the polls shall be kept open at each |
oil OF voting place from the hour of SIN in
he morning until sin O'Clock N the after
Don.
SEC. :. BE it further enacted, etc, That
ach parish in the State, except the par
she's OF Orleans and Jefferson, is hereby
xed as an election precinct, and the police
aries shall direct what number of polls or
citing places shall be established in each
recinct: shall fix the places of holding the
lection, and appoint commissioners Of cleo
ion for each poll or voting place. For the
arish of Orleans, each ward OF the city
f New Orleans shall constitute precinct,
nd the City Council shall Tx the voting
laces in each precinct, and appoint
nf,n1risa:nnnra 20 Hold the n1nntinn fnr, |