New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-11-23
LAWS or THE STATE or LOUISIANA
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.
AN AET

1Dg Ou1C6fs, anu ueUnlng LleT powers anu
duties; 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 J. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representative of the State
of Louisiana in General Assembly convened,
That all elections for State, parish and judi,
ciaI 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
tral elections. They shall be held in the
manner and form and subject to the regula-
tons hereinafter prescribed, and no other.
SEC. 9. 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 constitute 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 tLeir 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 atirm)
that [ will faithfully and diligently perform
the duties of q returning officer as pre-
sCribed by law; that I will carefully and
honestly canvass and compile the statements
of the votes, and make 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
sionprs of election, and make returns OF the
election to the Secretary OF State. Ihey
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 sad
statements, canvass and compile the returns
of the election in duplicate; one copy OF such
returns thew shall file in the office OF the Sec
retary of State, and of one copy they small
make public proclamation by printing IN
the official journal and such other
newspapers as they may deem proper de-
oIaring the names of all persons ana omcers
voted for, the number of votes tor each
person and the names OF the persons who
have been duly and lawfully elected. Inc
return Of the election thus made and pro
mulgated shall be prima facie evidence IN
all courts of Justice and before all civil
officers until set aside after contest
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 20 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
nents from all polls or voting places at
which there shall have been tar, tree and
peaceable registration and election. w hen
ever from any poll or voting place, there
pergisor of registration or commissioner OF
election in form as required BY section
twenty-six of this act, on affidavit of three
or more citizens, of any riot, tunult, acts OF
violence, intimidation, armed disturbance,
bribery OF corrupt Influences, which pre-
vented or tended to prevent, talr, tree
and peaceable vote Of all 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 canyasSed and com
piled. The returning officers shall then pro
coed to investigate the statements OF riot,
tumult, acts of violence, intimidation,
armed disturbance, bribery or corrupt Inttu-
ences at any such poll or voting place; and
if from the evidence of such statement they
shall be onvinced that such riot, tumult,
acts Of violence, intimidation, armed dis.
turb ance, bribery, OF corrupt influences DID
not materially interfere with the purity and
freedom Of the election at such poll or vot
ing place, or did not prevent sufficient
number Of qualified voters thereat from
registering or voting to materially change
- A. ID tH,1 r1y1l 1S,tt
otherwise, said returning officers shall can
vass and compile the vote Of such poll or
voting place with tb0s6 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 tins end
they shall have power to send Tor persons
and papers. If, after such examination,
the said returning officers. shall be con
WINGED that said riot, tumuIt acts OF
violence, intimidation, armed disturb
ancc, 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
number OF the qualified electors thereat
from registering and voting 10 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 1t
from their returns; provided, that any per
son interested in said election by reason Of
being candidate for Office shall he allowed
a hearing before said returning officers upon
making application within the time allowed
for the forwarding of the returns OF SAID
election.
SEC. a, Be it further enacted etc. That
elections for Representatives m General AS
sembly shall be held on the first Monday of
November one thousand eight hundred and
seventy-twO, and every two years thereat-
ter. and all elections to supply the place of
Senators in 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. S. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
all elections shall be held in each parish at
the several election polls or voting places
to be established as is hereinafter pre-
scribed.
SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, etc, That
all elections shall be completed in one day.
and the polls shall be kept open at each
poll or voting place from the hour Of SIX in
the morning until six O'Clock in the after
noon.
SEC. 7. Be it further enacted, etc., That
each parish in the State, except the par
ishes Of Orleans and Jefferson, is hereby
fixed as an election precinct, and the police
uries shall direct what number of polls or
voting places shall be established in each
precinct; shall fix she places of holding the
election, and appoint commissioners Of cleo
ton for each poll or voting place. For the
parish of Orleans, each ward of the CITY
of New Orleans shall constitute 3 precinct,
and the City Council shall fix the voting
places in each precinct, and appoint
Commissioners to hold the election for
each voting place. For the parish Of
one on each side of the Mississippi river,
the precinct on each side. embracing that