The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-27
Amending ,hs Election Laws.

The 2lst inst. by Mr.. Schley, of Marion.
amendatcry OF the election laws OF Indiana.
l. That Part OF the law providing for the
division of townships and wards into election
precincts is changed by adding a provision
that when Boards of Commissioners order
additional precincts or change the bouuda-
RES OF existing ones, publication shall be
made of tie fact in the two papers OF the
county having the largest circulation, and
by posting Up tendays before an election in
ten CT thsemost public places In each pre-
circt copy of such order, and in towns and
cities such copy shall be accompanied by a
map or description of such election precinct,
defining 1t By known boundaries, and the
County Auditor is required to furnish TO
election officers copies of such maps.
2. The law fixing the qualification OF In
spectors and Judges is changed 30 as to limit
these to some qualified voter" of the pre-.
ciDct, instead of a freeholder and house
holder OF one years residence in the precinct.
and adding the addltionsl qualification for
Inspectors, Judges and Clerks that they shall
be able 70 read and write the English Ian
guage. The provision OF the law as to a di.
vision OF the Election Board between politi-
cal parties is unchanged.
;. The polls are required to be opened at
o'clock in the morning and kept open un-
til O'Clock p. m, and the election officers
are required 10 assemble at the place of cleo
ton fifteen minutes before O'Clock in the
morning and take the oath of office and pre-
open promptly at the hour named.
4. All ballots shall be as follows: To be
written or prieted on plain white paper, of
grade known as No. book paper, of uni
form width of three inches, and to be with
out any distinguishing mark or other en-
bellishment thereon, except the names OF
the candidates and the offices tor which they
are to be voted, bat every ballot shall have
caption printed in one straight line, in black
ink. IN plain Roman capital letters, OF type
not larger than that now known and desig-
mated as Plea" aud the names of all candi.
dates, and the Offices for which they are
candidates, shall be printed in plain
and designated as BREWER" with
space equal TO - of an inch under the gen
eral heading, and with space equal to - OF
an inch above and below TIE line designations
the office for which the candidate is named:
and the Margins st top ana bottom OF such
tickets II all not exceed one half of an iDc1.
Ii IL, however, provided that the act shall
not be construed 20 prohibit any electoT
from voting any ballot entirely written, or
from voting any printed ballot which in OUT
vsrd appeslaDce complies with all the re
quirsments of the act, upon the face o.
which be has personally made or caused &C.
lie made, erasure, corrections or insertion OF
sny nsme by peDc mark or other wise.
D As 10 challenging OF votes ii is pro
vijed that the challenger shall De required
TO specifically state the ground for challenge
when rellmiGary oath is administered to
the person challenged to answer questions
touching me special ground of challenge
hco ~sv hn -.
as have been propounded the Election
Board shall then decide 40 whether the
ballot offered shall be registered or not. Ia
case OF decision against him and he shall
persist in voting. or in case the challenge oe
not Withdrawn, then the Inspector shall ad-
minister TO him the oath now prescribed
and shall in addition require the supporting
oath OF some qualified voter OF the precinct.
The present law requires that the person
making the supporting oath SHALL be free
holder CT the precinct. Any person claim
ing to nave declared his intention TO become
citizen of the United States may volun-
tarily produce for inspection his certificate
of court officer showing this fact bat the
omission to produce such paper shall not be
q good ground for challenge. If be shall
make the prescribed oath as aforesaid.
b. The clerks shall note, on forms TO be
furnished for the purpose, separate from
the poll lists, the ma mes of all persons chal-
AcuScu nuu ldCko COuueCteu WIFI SucQ
challenge, including notes OF the oeths taken
and the names of those who make the sup
porting oaths. This record ia made part of
the returns, and is to be filed in the Office
of the County Clerk, and all matter OF rec
ord therein shall be taken as prima facia
proof of the facts stated in any case where
any person shall thereafter be prosecuted
Tor perjury in connection with the oaths adj
ministered to them when any person has
been challenged.
Z. The ballot boxes shall be placed by
the Inspector at q window so that the voter
and others outside and near thereto, may
convenintly see every ballot received and
deposited in the box.
s. When the polls are closed the Inspector
and Judges shall commence to canvass thu
votes by first causing the clerks to make
careful comparison of the poll lists from the
commencement, and q correction of the
same and of mistakes that may be found
affecting the whole number of votes actually
cast. The ballot box shall then be opened
and the ballots therein carefully taken oat
and counted unopened, except so far as to
ascertain that each ballot is single II
two or more ballots shall bs found 50
folded as to present the appearance OF
single ballot they shall be destroyed if
the whole number Of ballots exceed the
whole number OF votes, and not otherwise
IL after deductiDg sll double ballots the bal
lots shall De found 20 still exceed the whole
number of votes, as shown on the Doll-lis
they shall be replaced in the box and the
InsE ector shall, without seeing the same
publicly draw out and destroy so many bal
lots unopened as shall be equal 20 such ex.
cess. The result being found the Inspector
shall securely attach to etatement OF such
canvass one ballot of each kind found II
have been given for the officer to be chosen
at such election, any or either OF
them, and toe clerk shall state
in words, at full length, immediately
opposite such ballot and written partly o.
such ballot and partly on the paper to qshich
it shall be attached, the whole number al
all the ballots that were received aud
counted which compared Eith the one so af-
tachsd, go that one OF each kind OF the bal
lots received aud counted shall be attached
The remain ing ballots not 50 attached shall
be then destroyed. The practical effect OF
this provision Will be 10 secure the return 10
the County Clerk 8 Office one OF esch OF the
'SfralClt tickets - Uirn pcfo IF the -uholo