Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-27

(1SI5).
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Minnesota:
Section 1. The common council of each in
corported city of over II, 900 inhabitants shall,
twenty days before general or special election,
appoint three qualified electors of each election
precinct or district of said city, who shall be
the judges of election in their election district
respectively. Said judges shall be of OPP
posite party if practicable. Said judges shall
appoint two qualified electors of their election
districts clerks of such election, of OPP
posite party if practicable The election shall
be held in each district at the place where last
preceding election was held, unless otherwise
ordered by the common council.
Sec. 2. The sheriff or judges of election may
appoint one or moro special constables to at
tend each place of holding election. 1t shall be
the duty Of police officers constables to keep
an open place of at least six feet square from
the place of voting, SO that the person voting
can do so unmolested by any other person. If
the above named officer neglects to perform
that duty then the judges of election shall
swear in enough private citizens to enforce
order, who shall have power constables or
conservators of the peace to make arrests for
breach Of the peace.
Sec. 3. Any police officer or constable attend
ing such election may call to his aid sufficient
number of citizens to arrest any disorderly
person or suppress any riot or disorder during
the election. Whoever conducts himself in a
riotous or disorderly manner at any election
and persists in such conduct after being warned
to desist, may be arrested without warrant.
Sec. 4. The polls shall be opened at the hour
of nine o'clock in the forenoon and continued
open until five o clock in the afternoon of the
same day, at which time the polls shall be
closed; but if the judges shall not attend at
the hour of nine o'clock in the forenoon, or if
it be necessary for the electors present TO APP
point judges to conduct the election as herein
before prescribed, the polls may in that case be
opened at any hour before the time for closing
the same shall arrive, as the case may require.
Sec. 5. Each clerk Of election shall keep a
poll list, which shall containa column headed
Number" and another headed 'Names of
voters" The name of each elector voting shall
be entered upon each OF the poll books by the
clerks in regular succession under the proper
headings, and the number Of each voter placed
opposite his name in the column headed
Number"
Sec. 6. The manner of voting shall be by
ballot. The ballot shall be printed or written,
or partly printed and partly written, upon
plain white paper, with the names of each
candidate voted for, and the title of the Offices;
when the ballot is printed the shall be
printed upon plain white paper plain type,
in straight lines, with a blank space below each
name of q width not less than equal to the
width of the line in which the name is printed.
No ballot shall be used or voted at any election
containing any cut or device on its face or any
cut or device or any written printed mat
ter on the back, or in any other way made to
distinguish one ballot from another.
Sec. z. The names of all candidates for
which the elector intends to vote shall be writ
ten or printed upon the same ballot and the
Office to which he desires each to be elected
shall be designated upon the ballot.
Sec. 8. The ballot shall be folded by the
election, who shall forthwith lay the same on
the top of the ballot box, at the same time in
an audible voice proclaim the name of the per-
son Offering TO vote to the board and if the
judges be satisfied, according to the evidence
herein described, that the person Offering
the vote is legal voter, the clerks of election
shall enter the name of the voter and his num-
Der under the proper heading in the poll book,
and the judges shall endorse on the back of the
ticket offered the number corresponding with
the number Of the voter on the poll book, and
shall Immediately put his ticket into the ballot
box.
Sec. 9. After the opening of the polls no adj
journnent shall be had, nor shall any recess be
taken until all the votes cast at such election
shall have been counted and the result publicly
announced.
Sec. 10. Immediately upon closing the polls
the judges shall proceed to canvass the votes
polled. They ehall first count the whole num-
Der of ballots in the box without opening the
ballots. II the ballots shall be found to ex-
coed the number of names entered on each of
!
any be found, upon which no number is mark
ed. If the number Of ballots still exceeds the
number of names on each poll list they shall be
replaced in the box and the box closed and well
shaken and again opened, and one of the judges
with his face averted shall publicly draw out
one by ono, and destroy SO many ballots, un,
opened, as shall be equal to such excess; and
the ballots or poll lists agreeing or being made
to agree, the board shall proceed to count and
estimate and publish the votes; and when the
judges of election shall open and read the
tickets they shall read and announce each bal
lot separately and proclaim to the clerks the
name of each candidate voted for, each clerk
shall carefully mark down upon the tally list
the votes so proclaimed each candidate receives
in separate column prepared for that purpose
with the name of such candidate at the head
of such column, and the office designated by
the votes such candidate shall fill. In case Of
the judges or clerks wilfully or corruptly fail
ing to count the votes or record the same as
provided in this section, the said Judges or
clerks SO offending shall be subject to a fine of
one thousand dollars or imprisonment in the
State prison one year, OF both in the discretion
of the court.
Sec. IL. If more persons are designated for
any office than there candidates to be
elected, or If moe votes parts of votes are
designated on any ballot for representative or
other offices than the voter [votes is entitled
to cast, such part Of the ticket shall not be
counted for either of the candidates.
Sec. H. All the ballots counted by the
judges of election shall after being read be
strung upon strong thread or Irvine in the
order in which they have been read, and shall
then be carefully enveloped and sealed up with
sealing wax by the judges, who shall direct
the same, endorsed with the name of the dis
trict voted to the officer to whom by law they
required to return the poll books, and shall
be delivered together with the poll books to
such officer, who shall carefully preserve SAID
ballots for six months, and at the expiration
of that time shall destroy them by burning,
without tue package being previously opened.
Provided, if any contest of election shall be
pending at such time in which said ballots may
be required as evidence the same shall not be
destroyed till such contest is finally deter
mined.
Sec. ID. In all cases of contested elections
the parties contesting the same shall have the
right TO have the said package of ballots
opened, and said ballots referred to bv wit
nesses, for the purpose of such contest. But
said ballots shall only be so examined and re-
ferred to in the presence of the officer having
the custody thereof.
Sec. IA. The judges of election shall allow
at least one, and not more than two legal voters
of each party to the contest, to be chosen by
the parties respectively, into the room where
the election is held to act as challengers of vot-
ers at such election, and such challengers may
remain with the board of election until the
votes are all canvassed and the result declared.
Sec Is. Whenever at any general or special
election. in any precinct or district, any person