The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-11-12

ballots of the same kind is then ascer-
tanned and statement of the count
made. To this statement the inspec-
tors attach ballot of each kind given
and the number of such ballots is writ
ten out in words partly on the ballot
and partly on the paper to which the
ballot is attached. Original ballots reg
istered by them as being defective are
also attached to this statement. When
electors of president and vice-president
are chosen separate canvass and state
ment of the votes given for electors is
made and a statement is made as pre-
scribed above. A true copy of the sew
eral statements made by the inspectors
and certified by them is Immediately
filed in the office of the town or city
clerk. The original statement, duly
certified, is delivered to the supervisor
of the town or ward within twenty-four
hours of the time the same was in
scribed. The supervisors to whom the
original statements are given constitute
the county board of canvassers. They
meet at the office of the county clerk on
the Tuesday following the election, ex-
cept in the county of Hamilton, whose
supervisors are required to meet on the
first Friday following the election. One
of their number is chosen chairman
and they simply add the votes of the
election districts of the county as they
appear from the statements of the in
spectors. The county clerk of each
county makes three certified copies of
the statement of the result of. the vote
for electors in his county and transmits
one by mail to the governor, another to
the secretary of state, and the third, on
the day after the canvass has been
made, is delivered to the clerk of
another county. The secretary of state,
comptroller, surveyor, encouragement
and treasurer are made state board of
canvassers. They are required to meet
on the first Wednesday after the third
Monday of November, or sooner if the
returns from all the counties are in.
This board adds the vote of the coun-
ties as it appears from the statements
of the county boards of canvassers and
makes statement of the whole number
of votes cast for the office of elector, or
any other state office, and upon such
statement proceed "to determine and
declare what persons have been by the
greatest number of votes duly elected
to such office" The inspectors cannot
pass upon the legal sufficiency of any
votes dropped in their boxes. A rec
ord of their count of the vote is kept so
that any attempt Of the supervisors to
change the vote would be instantly de-
tected. We have seen what precau-
tons have been taken to prevent any
tampering with the county returns by
the state board. AS the New York
Times says:
"a mscount could only happen, under
the laws of New York, if there were any
election district in which there were no mi
HOllts, anu llO representative Oh
the minority to watch the count or if that
representative had been bribed to acquiesce
in false count. ANY discreD-
ancy between the vote as announced by the
supervisors and the sum of the district
totals would be de tected and exposed at
once and would subject the supervisors to
severe punishment. No doubt upon proof
of the discrepancy a court would issue
madamus to the supervisors to make re-
count on arithmetical principles and not
upon partisan sentiments. The
whole business of counting the votes is done
in the daylight from the first step to the
last Election frauds in this state have
been generally confined TO this city, and to
cases in which the inspector appointed on
behalf of the minority has been in collision
with his associates. There is absolutely no
fear that the vote of the rural districts will
not be counted as it is cast"
From this review of the law it will
be seen that the g official count" of
which so much has been said, and
which began on Tuesday on the part
of the county board of canvassers, is
not counting of the ballots dropped
into the boxes, but the adding up of the
vote as it appears upon the face of the
returns made by the inspectors; and
the ''count" on the part of the state
board of canvassers is adding the vote
of the counties as it appears on the
face of the returns made by the county
boards, and upon the results as deter
mined by the state board proclamation
of the result of the election is made.
OF the latter board, the secretary of
state is a republican and the remaining
members democrats; but it would seem
to be utterly impossible, even if there
were the disposition, for county or
state boards-whatever their partisan
prejudice-to pervert any decision made
by the ballot-box.
Notes and Notions.