Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-12-12
LOCAL.
THE ELECTION LAW.

APPOINTMENT OF THE LOCAL BOARDS
THEIR POWERS AND DUTIEs--NEW
REGISTRATION.
&C, &C, sc.
The following gentlemen were chosen
by the legislature, to compose the cleo.
toral boards of the city and counties
named under the new election law: Staun-
ton-James Bamgardner, Jr., J. z. Coct-
ran and N. M. Warner; Augusta-W
F. Smith, g. Benton Coiner and Samuel
IL. McCue; Highland-L. Ell. Stephenson,
S. FL. Porter and J. B. Bradshaw; Bath
III. IL. McClintic, A. F. Withrow and
George Woo9sell; Alleghany-Jno. A.
Carson, John L. Irvine and A. A. Nc
Allister The provisions of the new bill.
which is the Mccormick bill, with a
slight amendment by Mr.. Anderson, of
Rockbridge.) are of general interest and
will be of much greater interest as the
general elections in May get closer. We
therefore publish it in full. and advise our
readers to cut it out and lay it aside for
future reference-for there is hardly an
election in Augusta. and we suppose every
other county, at which on the very morn
ing of the opening of the polls those ap-
pointed to conduct the election are It
running around in hot pursuit of a copy
the law. Here is the bill in full
1. Be 1T enacted by the General Assembly
of Virginia, That the offices of all the re-
gistrars and judges, clerks and commits
sioners of election, in each county and
city of this common wealth shall become
and be vacant as soon as their successors
in Office. as hereinafter provided for, have
been appointed and qualified; and that
the general assembly shall, during its
present session, and at it's session COM
alternate regular session thereafter, pro-
coed to elect three qualified voters. who
shall be residents of each county and city
for which they are appointed, in this COM
monwealth, to be known as the county or
city electoral board, as the case may be,
who shall go into Office on the first day Of
January succeeding their election, or as
soon thereafter as possible, having first
taken and subscribed the usual oath Of
Office prescribed for city and county Off
GERS, and whose term of office shall cont1-
nue. for four years, or until their successors
are duly elected and qualified. The oath
prescribed by this section may be taken
before any person qualified to adm mister
oaths in their respective cities or counties,
and when so taken and subscribed 1t shall
be filed in the Office of the county court in
county or IN the office of the hastings
court in the city, as the case may be.
ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD.
2. The said board shall elect one of
their number chairman, and another sec
rotary; any two shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business; and any
vacancy occurring in any OF said electoral
boards during the recess of the legislature
shall be filled by the remaining members
or member of the board; and the person
so chosen shall remain in Office until the
end of the term Of the person in whose
stead he was chosen.
8. The general assembly may elect said
electoral boards for each and all the coun
ties and cities by one or more joint resolu
lions, as the general assembly may see fit
4. The said electoral boards for each
city and county shall have power, and ii
shall be their duty to proceed to ill the
offices Of registrars and judges, in the
manner provided for in this act.
ITS DUTIES AND POWERS.
5 It shall be the duty of the electoral
board of each city and county. at some
time prior to the 1st day of March in each
year, TO select and appoint three compe.
tent citizens, who shall be qualified voters
tor each voting place in their respective
counties and cities, who. when SO selected
and appointed, shall constitute the judges
of election for all elections to be held in
their respective districts, precincts, OF
wards, for the term of one year, dating
from their appointment, and which sale
Judges shall have power to appoint two
clerks to each place Of voting at such
election, to whom shall be administered
by the judges, or either of them, the same
oath as that taken by the said judges. II
shall be the duty of each of said electoral
boards, biennia'ly, at the same time, te
appoint registrar for each voting place
of their respective counties and cities,
who shall be discreet citizen and resi-
dent of the magisterial district or ward in
and for which he is appointed, and who
shall hold office for the term of two years
from the 1st day of March following theil
appointment, and until their successors
are duly appointed and qualified; and in
the city of Richmond it shall be Lawful
for each registrar to appoint clerk and
to administer to him the same oath az
that taken by the registrar: provided, hog
ever, that for any ward containing ovel
one. thousand voters, the said electcra
board shall appoint one registrar for ever!
thousand voters, and enc for every frac
1ional part of thousand above five hum
Gred. and there shall be at least as man.
voting places in each ward as registrar
for such ward. The said electoral boart
shall, from time to time, fill any vscanc.
that NAV occur in the office of registrar
Whenever it is possible to do SO. persons
so selected and appointed as judges o
election shall be chosen for each voting
place from persons known to belong te
different political parties, and eacl
one of whom shall be able to read
aud write, and the members of any cleo.
toral board who shall wilfully fail to com
ply with this requirement shall be guilty
Of a nisdemeanor. and On conviction
thereof shall be fined not less than one
hundred nor more than five hundred dol
lars. But no election shall be deemed tt
be invalid when the citizens appointed al
Judges shall not belong to different politi
cal parties; or who shall not possess thf
above qualifications. And should any