The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-10-23
COMMISSIONERS OF ELECTION.
A SUMMARY OF THEIR DUTIEs.-THE
SUPERVISOR.

The parish of st. Landry constitutes,
under the law, but one precinct, which
has been divided by the Police Jury into
thirty tho polling places. Three Com
missiOners of Election have been ap-
pointed for each box, making q total of
eirty-Sir Commissioners for the entire
parish. 1t is the duty of these Commits
sioners to come TO OpelOIsas, in ample
time before the. election, to take the
Constitutional oath OF office, and receive
the necessary verbal and printed in
structions, the blanks, etc, required,
from the Supervisor of Registration.
If only one Commissioner be present
Oh the day of election, he shall appoint
another to serve, and they shall Jointly
appoint a third.
The Sheriff is required to furnish bal
lot boxes, which shall be conveyed by
Special Constables or Peace Officers to
the respective polling places.
The polls must be opened promptly at
6 o'clock A. NJ, and continue open until
6 o'clock p. VI.
. Amy Commissioner is authorized TO
administer the oath to the other Com
m%issioners, when appointments are made
to fill vacancies.
The ballots shall be received by the
Commissioners from the voters them
selves, and it is made a penalty to re-
ceive them from any other party. Each
voter, if he chooses, has the privilege of
depositing his ticket in the ballot box
with his own hand.
The Commissioners are empowered to
preserve order, to prevent improper con-
duct, and arrest and imprison any per-
BON violating the law. They are required
to keep, at each polling place, a list of
the voters which shall be signed in du-
plicate and sworn to before opening the
box. The vote then shall be Immediately
counted, without ~Temoring the Dor from
the place WheTe the cote Cds received, and
the counting must be done in the pres
ence of any bystander or citizen who
may be present. Tally lists shall be
kept of the count, and the counted votes
shall be put back in the box, and pre-
served until after the next term of the
District Court, and the Commissioners
or any of them selected, shall carry the
box and deliver it to the Clerk of the
District Court, who shall preserve the
same. m .-.. .. ..
The names of all the persons voted for
shall be written or printed on one ticket.
The Commissioners may administer
oaths, az, to whether a party has voted
at any other place, and as to his being
the identical person to whom was issued
the Registration certificate.
After the Commissioners shall have
counted the votes, as above stated, du-
rlicate lists shall be made out, signed
and sworn to, which shall be delivered,
one to the Supervisor of Registration,
and one to the Clerk of the District
Court, within twenty-four hours after
the closing of the polls. 1t shall be the
duty of the Supervisor, aCithint tuenty-
four hours after the receipt Of all The re-
turns, to consolidate such returns, to he
certified as correct by the Clerk of the
District Court, and forward them to the
returning officers.
These are the most important points
in relation 10 the duties Of Commission
ers. The laws and printed instructions
from which we have carefully condensed
this statement, are full of details, which
are not important to the general reader.
But the synopsis we here give will ena-
BILE any citizen to judge correctly for
himself, as to the fairness or unfairness
of the coming election.