New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-11-22
LAWS OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.
AN ACT

scribe the mode OF making returns there
of: to provide for the election OF return
ing officers. and defining their powers and
duties; to prescribe the mode of entering
en- the rolls of the Senate and House of
REPRESENTATIVES; and to enforce article
one hundred and three of the constitution.
SECTION 7. 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
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 the
manner and form and subject to the regula-
ti0ns 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 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
filed 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 SD
preme or any district court:
/. A. B.. do solemnly swear tor attirm)
that will faithfully and diligently perform
the duties Of a 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, and
the said returning officers shall from said
statements, canvass and compile the returns
of the election in duplicates: 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 in
the official journal and such other
newspapers as they may deem proper. de-
clariDg the names OF ali persons and officers
voted for, the number Of votes for 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 facie evidence in
all courts of justice and before all civil
officers until set aside after a 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 to be com
SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, etc. That |
in such canvass and compilation the return
ing officers shall observe the following or,
der They shah compile first the state
ments from all polls or voting places at !
which there shall have been a fair, free and |
peaceable registration and election. When
ever, from any poll or voting place, there |
shall be received the statement Of any SUI
pervisor OF registration or commissioner Of
election, in form as required by section
5wenty-six OF this act, on affidavit of three
JP more citizens, of any riot, tumuIt, acts of
intimidation, armed disturbance,
bribery or corrupt influences, which pre-
rented, or tended to prevent, a fair, free
md peaceable vote of all qualified electors
entitled to vote at such poll or voting place,
uch returning officers shall not canvass,
count or compile the statement Of votes
rom such poll or voting place until the
statements from all other polls or voting
places shall have been canvassed and com
lied The returning officers shall then pro
eed to investigate the statements Of riot.
umult, acts of violence, intimidation,
rmed disturbance, bribery or corrupt intiu-
noes at any such poll or voting place and
from the evidence of such statement they
hall be convinced that such riot, tumult
cts OF violence, intimidation, armed dis
lrbance, bribery, or corrupt Influences did !
OF materially interfere with the purity and
reedom of the election at such poll or vot-
* place, or did not prevent sufficient
lumber of qualified voters thereat from
clustering or voting to materially change
ne result Of the election, then, and not
said returning officers shall can
ass and compile the vote of such poll or
citing place with chose previously can
assed and compiled; but if said returning
Ulcers shall not be fully satisfied thereof,
shall be their duty to examine further
stlmony in regard thereto, and to this end
ley shall have power to send for persons
I'd papers. If, after such examination,
e said returning officers, shall be con Z
need that said riot, tumult acts of :
olence, intimidation, armed disturb ,
ice, bribery or corrupt influences ;
d materially interfere with the purity and
eedom Of the election at such poIl or
Dting place, or did prevent a sufficient :
lmber of the qualified electors thereat !
ON registering and voting to materially :
ange the result of the election, then the '
Id returning officer shall not canvass or i
mpile the statement of the votes of such
ii or voting place, but shall exclude it 9
Dm their returns: provided, that any per !
d interested in said election by reason Of =
ing a candidate for office shall be allowed t
gearing before sand returning officers upon I
tking application within the time allowed u
: the forwarding of the returns Of said y
elton. u
SEC. +. Be it further enacted etc. That q
ctions for Representatives in General As {"
nbly shall! be held ON the first Monday OF !
yember, one thousand eight hundred and Il
'enty-twO, and every two years thereaf- ! e.
, and all elections to supply the place of b
latOrS in the General Assembly. whose ! a.
III Of service shall have expired, shall
held at the same time as herein pro- al
ed for the election of Representatives ht
EC. ,. BE it further enacted, etc, That lie
elections shall be held in each parish at al
several election polls or voting places bt
be established as is hereinafter pre-
ibed. al
&c 6. Be it further enacted, etc, That "
elections shall be completed in one daVs ct
the polls shall be kept open at each 70
or voting place from the hour of SIX in ar
morning until six o'clock in the after an
&c. Z. Be it further enacted, etc, That iet
h parish in the State. except the par 10,
IS Of Orleans and Jefferson, is hereby ex
d as an election precinct, and the police wi
es shall direct what number of polls or elt
ing places shall be established in each to
3inct; shall fix the places of holding the trs
ton, and appoint commissioners Of cleo is
for each poll or voting place. For the sh
sh of Orleans, each ward of the city or
Jew Orleans shall constitute precinct, of
the City Council shall fix the voting tht
es in each precinct, and appoint gu
missioners to hold the election for ma
l voting place. For the parish Of Gle
7rson there shall be two precincts cor