New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-11-28
LAWS OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
PUBLISHED BIZ AUTHORITY.
NJ o. 9S
AN ACT

scribe the nOQ6 OF making returns LDGrb-
of; to provide for the election of return
ing officers, and defining their powers and
duties 10 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
sembly, and for members Of Congress, shall
be held on the first Monday in November;
and said election shall be styled the gen.
eral elections. They shall be held in tie
manner and form and subject to the regNla-
lions hereinafter prescribed, and no other.
SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, etc. That
five persons, to be elected by the Senate
from all political parties shall be the re
turning officers for all elections in the State,
a majority of whom shall consulate quo
rum, and have power to make the returns
of all elections. In case Of any vacancy by
DEATH resignation, or otherwise, by either
of the board, then the vacancy shall be
filled by the residue of the board OF re-
turning officers. The returning officers
shall, after each election, before entering
on their duties, take and subscribe to the
following oath before judge OF the Su-
preme or any district court:
l. A. b., do solemnly swear Tor athrml
that will faithfully and diligently perform
the duties Of returning officer as. pre-
scribed by law; that | will carefully and
honestly canvass and compile the statements
of the votes, and make a true and correct
return of the election. So help me God
Within ten days after 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. They
shall continue in session until such returns
have been compiled. The presiding officer
shall, at such meeting, open, IN the presence
of the said returning officers, the state
ments Of the commissioners OF election, ana
the said returning officers shall, from said
statements, canvass and compile the returns
of the election in duplicate; one copy OF such
returns they shall file in the Office Of the Sec
rotary OF State, and OF one copy they shall
make public proclamation by printing N
the official journal and such other
newspapers as they may deem proper, de-
claring the names OF all persons and officers
voted for, the number Of votes Tor each
person and the names Of the persons who
have been duly and lawfully elected. The
return of the election thus made and pro
mulgated shall be prima facle evidence IN
all courts Of justice and before all civil
OuIC6F5 HuII 6Gb dSlNlC tLLCh q SOlAIS9C
according to law. of the right OF any person
named therein to hold and exercise the
office to which he shall by such return be
declared elected. The Governor shall,
within thirty days thereafter, issue COM
missions to all officers thus declared elected,
who are required by law to be COM
missioned,
SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, etc, That
in such canvass and compilation the return
ing officers shall observe the following or
der They shall compile first the state
ments from all polls or voting places at
which there shall have been fair, free and
peaceable registration and election. When
ever, from any poll or voting place, there
shall be received the statement OF any SUI
peryisor Of registration or commissioner OF
election, III form as required by section
twenty-siX Of this act, on athdaVlt OF three
or more citizens, OF any riot, tumult, acts OF
violence, intimidation, armed disturbance,
bribery or corrupt influences, which pre-
vented, or tended to prevent, fair, free
and peaceable vote Of ali qualified electors
entitled to vote at such poll or voting place,
such returning officers shall not canvass,
count or compile the statement OF votes
from such poll or voting place until the
statements from all other polls or voting
places shall have been canvassed and com
piled. The returning officers shall then pro
tumult acts of violence, intimidation,
armed disturbance, bribery or corrupt intiu-
ences at any such poll or voting place and
if from the evidence of such statement they
shall be convinced that such riot, tumult.
acts of violence, intimidation, armed DIS
turbance, bribery, or corrupt influences dld
not materially interfere with the purity and
freedom Of the election at such poll or vot-
ing place, or did not prevent d sufficient
number of qualified voters thereat from
registering or voting to materially change
the result of the election, then, and not
otherwise, SAID returning officers shall can
yass and compile the vote Of such poll or
voting place with those previously can
vassed and compiled; but if said returning
officers shall not be fully satisfied thereof,
it shall be their duty to examine further
testimony in regard thereto, and to this end
they shall have power to send for persons
and papers. If. after such examination,
the said returning officers, shall be con
WINGED that said riot, tumult acts OF
violence, intimidation, armed disturb
ance, bribery or corrupt influences
did materially interfere with the purity and
freedom Of the election at such poll or
voting place, or did prevent sufficient
Of the qualified electors thereat
from registering and voting to materially
change the result of the election, then the
said returning officer shall not canvass or
compile the statement of the votes of such
poll or voting place, but shall exclude ii
from their returns: provided, that any per-
son interested in said election by reason Of
being a candidate for office shall he allowed
a hearing before SAID returning officers upon
making application within the time allowed
for the forwarding Of che returns o! said
election.
SEC. j. Be IL further enacted csc, That
elections for Representatives in General As !
sembIy shall be held On the first Monday OF |
November, one thousand eight hundred and |
seyenty-twO. and every two years thereat- |
ter, aud all elections to supply the place Of |
Senators III the General Assembly, whose !
term of service shall have expired. shall !
be held at the same time as herein pro- |
vided for the election of Representatives. !
SEC J. Be il further enacted, etc. That |
Ill elections shall be held in each parish at |
the several election polls or voting places !
10 be established rs is hereinafter pre-
,cribed.
SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, etc, That |
Ill elections shall be completed in one day,
md the polls shall be kept open at each
poll or voting place from the hour Of SIX in
he morning until SIX o'clock III the after
loon.
SEC. I. Be it further enacted, CSC. That
Zach parish in the State, except the par
shes Of Orleans and Jefferson, IS hereby
liked as an election precinct, and the police
uries shall direct what number Of polls or
-oting places shall be established in each
precinct; shall fix the places Of holding the
Election, and appoint commissioners of cleo
ion for each poll or voting place. For the
parish Of Orleans, each ward oI the city
# New Orleans shall constitute a precinct,
md tie City Council shall tx the voting
,laces in each precinct, and appoint
to hold the election for