Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-07-19
How the French Vote.

The French elections always occur on
Sunday, as on that day, it being a holi-
day the voters can go to the polls with
out losing time from their work. Vot-
ing being ranked as to its ceremonial
Importance. with wedding and funerals,
the workingman goes to the polls Dress
ed In his best. He pays no poll tax.
The only qualifications are that he is a
Frenchman, is twenty-one years of age,
and has resided six months in the quar-
ter in which lie seeks to vote.
Each year, before the election, he
must procure a card bearing his name,
address and age, besides the stamp of
the authorities of the ward, or arrondis-
sement, in which he resides. But
Frent b officials are accommodating. A
careless voter, who has neglected this
duty, finds an official behind a table at
the entrance of the voting place. who,
if no one objects. fills up a blank card
and hands it to him. The subsequent
proceedings We will let Mr.. Henry
Bacon, an American artist residing in
Paris, tel, We condensing his narration.
The voting begins at eight o'clock in
the morning and is concluded at six at
night, and takes place in the school
rnoma of fLa ,1,Earant nl;,.o,,>,,.x.
Several sergeants de vile walk back and
forth before the entrance. Men with
white bands about their hats, ON which
are printed the candidates names, stand
at the gate distributing tickets.
Across the. school room there is a
long table made of planks and in its
+, centre rests the "urn," as the unpaint-
ed pine balict-box is called. 1t is fast
ened with paddock, and in the top is a
hole large enough to pass silver dol
lar. Before the voting begins the box
is unlocked, and those present examine
the interior.
The President of the Electi,n Com
mittee stands behind the box the vot-
er, with his hat of, hands in his card.
The President calls out the number and
name on the card; one of the assessors
finds the number and name in the vot-
ing list and repeats both aloud.
The voter mods in recognition, the
President clips a corner from the card,
returns it to the elector, who hands
him ticket SO folded that the name is
invisible, which the President solemnly
drops into the box.
The crowd in the room is quiet and
orderly, and no policeman appears un-
less he is called in. Near six o'clock
the room fills up, for every elector has
a right to assist III ascertaining the re-
suit of the days voting. As soon as the
polls are closed the President opens the
box.
''Form your tables for counting"
says an official, ''four. electors at each
table" Everybody offers advice, and
the noise is tremendous. Taking up
paper bag on which is printed Bulletin
de No.-," the President asks:
"Would any one like to lock at this
sack?"
Several assure themselves that there
are no votes slowed away in the corners.
An elector holds the sack while the
President counts one hundred ballots
into it. Then it is closed, pinned up
and carried over to the first table The
crowd closes around, some standing on
benches, while two electors, with large
sheets of ruled paper before them, pre-
pare to record the vote. Another cleo
tor opens the sack, takes out vote, un-
folds it, reads the name and passes 1t to
a fourth elector, who spreads it out on
the table, Each of the markers makes
a mark upon the paper under the name
of the candidate whose name has been
called.
As hundred eyes examine eacn tiche',
no trick is possible, and every mark
made upon the paper could be sworn to
by score of persons. If two tickets
are discovered folded together, there Is
noise. But some one reads the law
which says that if the names are differ
ent, one cancels the other if they are
the same, one remains valid, the other
is cancelled. Thereupon the noise sub
sides.
After the different committees-there
are several counting tables in the room
have made up their counts then a
statement OF the returns, signed by the
President and assessors, is sent to the
Mayors Office, where, from time 10
time, the returns are announced