Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-10-20
The Law Regarding the Duties Of O. S.
Supervisors of Registration and

ElecfiOn


pervisors of Registration and Election, to
be appointed at the Special Term OF the
U. S. Circuit Cosrt, to be held in Raleigh
on the goth inst, we publish the following
sections of the Revised Statutes of the
United States relating to their powers and
duties, &C.:
SEC. Poll. Whenever III any city or town
having upwards of 10000 Inhabitants,
there are two citizens thereof, OF whenever
in any county or parish, in auy congress
sional district, there are ten citizens there
of, of good standing, who, prior TO any reg
istt alton of voters fer any election for Rep
resent&tives or Delegates i'll the Congress
of the United States, or prior to any cleo
ton at which a Representative or Dele
gate III Congress is to be voted for, may
make known, in writing, to the judge OF
the circuit court Of the L United Sites for
the circuit wherein such city or town,
county or parish is situated, their desire to
have such registration, or suc,l election, or
both, guarded aud scrutiDized, the judge,
within not less than ten days prior to the
registration, if one there be, OF, if no regis
tratiOn be required, within not less than
ten days prior to the election, sh IL open
the circuit court Al the most convenient
point in the district.
SEC. 2012. The court, when so opened
by the Judge, shall proceed to appoint and
commission, from day to day and from
time to time, ana under the hand Of the
judge, and under the seal of the court, for
each election district Or vO ing precinct in
the congressional district, as may have
applied in the manner hereinbefore pre-
scrbed, and to revoke, change, or renew
| such appointment from time to time, two
| citizens, residents of the city or town, or
| election district or voting precinct in the
| county or parish, who shall be of different
| political parties and able to read and write
| the English language, and who shall be
| known aud designated as supervisors OF
! election.
| SEC. 2016. The supervisors Of election, SO
| appointed, are authorized and required to
| attend at all times and places fixed for the
registration of voters, who, being register
| ed would be entitled to vote for a Repre-
sentative or Delegate in Congress, and to
challenge any person offering to register ;
| to attend at all times and places when the
names Of registered voters may be marked
for challenge, and to cause such names
registered as they may deem proper to be
| SO marked to make, when required, the
lists, or either of them, provided for in
section two thousand and tWenty-six, and
verify the same; and upon ANY caSion,
and at any time when in attendance upon
| the duty herein prescribed, to personally
inspect and srrntiniZe such registry, and
for purposes Of Identification TO affix their
signature to each page Of the original list,
and of each copy Of any such list of regis
tered voters, at such times, upon each day
when any name may be received, entered
or registered, and in such manner as will,
| in their judgment, detect and expose the
improper or wrongful removal thcrefroln,
| or addition thereto OF any name.
SEC. 2017. The supervisors ofclection ale
| authorized and required TO attend at al
times and places for holding elections Of
| Representatives or Delegates in Congress,
and for counting the votes cast at such
| elections; to challenge any vote offered by
any person whose legal qualifications The
supervisors, or either OF them. may doubt
10 be and remain where the bailOt-boxes
are kept at all times after the polls are open
| until every Vote cast I such time and place
| has been counted, the canvass of ali votes
| polled wholly completed, and the proper
| and requisite certificates or returns made,
| whether the certificates OF returns lie re-
quired under any law Cfthe United States,
OF any State, territorial, or municipal law,
and to personally inspect and scrutiniZe,
from lime to time, and at all times on the
day of election, the manner in which the
voting is done, and the way and method
| in which the poll-books, registry-lists, and
tallies or check books, whether the same
are required by any law OF the United
States, or any State, territorial, or null
cipal law, are kept.
SEC. 2O16. To the end that each candi-
date for the office Of Representative OF
Delegate III Congress may obtain the beue-
tit OF every vote for him cast, the Supeivi-
sors of election are, and each of them is
required to personally scFutiniZe, count
and canvass each ballot i'll their election
district or voting precinct cast, whatever
may be the endorsement on the ballot, or
i'll whatever box it may have been placed
or be found; to make and forward to the
officer who, in accordance with the pro-
visions of section two Thousand and TWEEN
ty-tive, has beer designated as the chief
supervisor of the judicial district in which
the city or town wherein they may ser, e.
acts, such certificates and returns of all
such ballots IS such officer may direct nd
require, and to attach to the registry-list
anG any al! copies thereof and to any GER
tlIcate, statement, or return, whether the
same, or any part or portion thereof, be re-
guired by any law of the United States. or
of any State, territorial or municipal law.
any statement touching the truth or accu-
racy Of the registry, or the truth or fair
ness OF he election and canvass, VIII CHI the
supervisors nf the election, or either of
them, may desire to make or attach, or
which should properly and honestly be
made and attached, in order that the facts
may become known.
SEC. 2O19. The etter to enable the su-
pervisors of election to discharge their du-
ties, they are authorized and directed in
their respective election districts or voting
precincts, on the day CT registration, on
the day when registered voters may be
marked to be challenged, and on the day
OF election, to take, occupy, and remain in
such position, from time to time, whether
before or behind the ballot-boxes, as will,
IN their Judgment, best enable them to see
each person offering himself for registration
or offering to vote, and as will best conduce
to their scrutniZing the manner in which
the registration or voting is being conduc-
ted; and at the closing of polls for the re-
ception of votes, they are required to place
themselves in such position, in relation to
the ballot-b"xes, for the purpose Of engag-
ing In the work Of canvaSsing the ballots |
as will enable them to fully perform the
duties in respect to such canvass provided
herein, and shall there remain until every
duty in respect to such canvass, certifi- |
Gates, returns ard statements has been
wholly completed.
SEC. 202O. When in any election district |
or voting precinct in any city or town, for
which there have been appointed superyi- |
sOrs of election for any election at which a |
Representative or Delegate in Congress is |
V ted for, the supervisors of election are |
not allowed to exercise and discharge. |
fully aud freely, and without bribery. So |
licita alton, interference, intolerance, moles- |
tation, violence, or threats thereof, on the |
part of any pers. II, al the duties, obliga-
y thr,,, +
law, Tie supervisors of election shall make |
prompt report, under cath, within ten days |
after the day of election to the officer who, |
in accordance with the provisions of section
two thousand twenty-five, has been desig-
mated as the chief supervisor of the judicial |
district in which the city or town wherein
they served, acts, of the manner and means