Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-10-09
RECEIVING AND COUNTING VOTES.
[From the St. Louis Republican.

lfrOm t6e SC. Louis hepuOllcan.
AT the November election the new
law in Missouri governing elections
will have to be followed, and as the
subject is one of some Importance we
call the attention of the county courts
and the public to that law i'll the re-
vised statutes, and particularly to the
following section Of it:
"Section 5,495. In all counties in
this state four judges Of election
shall be appointed by the county
court, for each election preciuc; in
each of said counties; and there shall
also be provided Two ballot-boxes for
said judges of election, one OF which
shall be numbered No. /, and the
other numbered No. 2, and it shall be
the duty of said judges to select from
their number two judges, who shall
be designated aud known as receiving
judges, and two who shall be desig-
mated and known as counting Judges.
After the psll-beoks are signed in the
manner hereinafter provided in the
form of the poll-books, the ballot
box No. shall be opened and ex-
amined by all the judges and clerks,
and everything removed therefrem :;
selected, shall receive the ballot of
each elector, and, after pronnumciug
the name OF such elector in an audi
BILE voice, shall pass the ballot to the
ether receiving judge, who shall
number the same and deposit it in
said ballet.beX No. l, which shall be
kept securely closed white the ballot
ing continues for one hour from the
time Of opening the polls. AT the ex-
piration of said hour, the receiving
judges shall deliver said ballot-box
No. to the counting judges, who
shall immediately deliver over to
said receiving judges ballet-box No.
2, which ballot-bex No. 2 shall be
opened and examined in the presence
of all the judges and clerks, and af-
ter everything is removed theretrom,
shall be securely closed and during the
next hour, said receiving judges sail
receive and deposit ballots therein,
III the same manner as during the frs t
hour ballots were re ceived and deDos-
tied i'll ballOt.box No. l. After the d e.
livery ofbalIot-box Mol to the count
Ing judges, the same sail be ilnlnp.
diat,ly opened by them and :i,u tick
cts shall be taken out, Que at time,
by one Of the counting judges, whe
shall read distinctly, while the ticket
remains in his hand, the name or
names written or printed thereon,
also the office that is intended to be
nileu by such person veted tor, aud
deliver the same 10 the other count
ing Judge, who shall string the same
on thread Or string, as provided by
lA h..a n VL,<. Il
served with each ticket. and the
counting shall continue thus until all
the ballots i'll the box are counted,
and then the counting judges shall
securely close ballet.boX No. and
deliver The same to the receiving
judges, and receive from the rcceiv-
ing judges ballot-boX No. 2; and so
on III the same manner until the polls
are closed and all the ballots are
counted. No person or persons shall
be admitted into the room or office
where such ballots are being counted
except the judges aud clerks of c.ec-
ton; provided, that any political
party may select representative
man who who may be admitted as
witness of such counting. 1t shall
be the duty of one of the Judges TO
announce to the electors present the
total number of votes pollcu at each
change of the box /; bnt the Judges.
clerks and witnesses shall make oath
that they will make no statement,
nor give any information OF any kind
as to the number of votes poiicd for
amy office or person, nor the names OF
any person voted for, nor in any other
fact tending i'll any way to SHOW the
state OF the polls at any time previ-
GUS TO the closing Of the polls of said
| election Oh the day of the same"
The strict requirements in this Sec
ton deinand that the votes shall be
counted completely every hrur, and
assume that the two counting judges
can count as fast as the two receiving
Judges eau receive them. But if the
precl"ct Is Il large one, am! the pres
sure Of voters at the polls al certain
hours OF the day should he heavy.
this may not be possible. 1t is easy
enough u count tickets that are