Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-09-01
VOTING IN ENGLAND.
The Method By Which Members OF
Parliament are Selected.

Parliament are Selected.
The polls are open on election day
from O'Clock a. m. until O'Clock p.
m., and the presiding officer, with his
clerk or clerks, is on duty at the polling
station all that time. The returning
officers of the borough sit in the yeStry
hall at the parish church, and the sher-
iff in the shire hall, to receive appeals
from persons who may have changed
their residences since the register was
completed, or who for some other tech
nical reason are not allowed by the pre-
siding officer to cast their ballots. The
polling station is a large room, divided
across by a strong railing, with gate
way in il. The rear part of the room Is
further divided by a railing at right
angles to the first. In the rear of the
room are tables at which the electors
write their ballots. They are divided
one from the other by high board divi-
sions reaching to the ceiling of the room,
SO that man at one table can neither
see nor be seen by a man At the next.
On the other side of the room and be
hind the second railing sits the presiding
officer with his clerk, while III front OF
him stands the ballot box and book.
Shortly before 5 O'Clock in the morn
ing of election day a policeman takes his
stand at the gate. There the presiding
officer and his clerk bring III the ballot
box. still sealed up, and the package OF
papers. Each candidate is entitled to
hayea s'personation agent at each poll
ing station. and in the presence of these
agents the seal of the ballot box Is bro
ken and the box shown to be empty.
The box is made of tin, is about foot
and a half high, and a foot square. On
the top il has slit about one and half
inches long and a fraction of an inch
wide.
In the sealed package of papers are,
first a complete printed copy of the regis
terof the borough; second, hatportion of
the register which contains the names of
the electors entitled TO vote in that poll
ing district; third. book containing the
ballots; fourth. 4 book containing fifty
ballots printed on colored paper, 10 be
handed out under the objection of the
.'personatiOn agent' of either candidate.
There is also a stamp with which to
stamp each ballot rs it is given out. The
average register has leaves about as
large as those of an unabridged diction-
ary, and is about One-third as thick as
that necessary book. Each page is diyi-
ded into five columns; in the first ap-
pears 4 number, in the second the
voters name. Then in the third comes
his residence. his occupation in the
fourth, while the property on which he
votes is described in the fifth an last
column. The ballot book is like a argc
and thick check book, the ballots being
the checks. They are about as large as
The regular small Dlotting papers. Each
ballot is numbered. a corresponding
number being printed on the stub which
remains in the book. The names of the
candidates are printed on the ballot, a
large blank space being left opposite
each.
Above each table where the electors |
write their ballots hangs a,notice printed
in large letters, setting forth |
what the voter may and may not do. |
When these notices are put IN place and |
the books laid out on the table, the pre-
siding officer and his clerks take their
places, and at 5 O'Clock the polls are de-
clared open. The would-be voter passes
by the policeman on guard at the gate,
who allows only one person TO enter the
enclosure at time. He goes first TO the
table, and gives his name To the presi-
ling officer, who finds il in the register.
"What is your residence" asks the
officer. The voter gives it.
'Your occupati0n:" continues the
)fficer: and when the answer cores
ponds with the statement in the register,
he asks the voter to describe the property
IN which he claims right to vote.
Not until all the questions are an
Jwered in accordance with the printed
iorm does the presiding officer offer the
roter ballot paper. From the register
le takes the voters number, and writes
{ in ink on the stub of the ballot book,
below the number Of the
ballot, which is printed on the stub.
Then he tears cut the ballot paper,
stamps it with his stamp, and hands it
to the voter, who goes over to one Of the
tables. There pens, ink and blotting
paper are provided There, as he is
directed by the printed notice above the
table. he marks a cross against the name
Of the candidate for whom he is voting,
blots his ballot. folds it, and, returning
it TO the table by the railing, holds it up
and drops it into the ballot box Hav-
ing done this, he makes room for the
next voter.
In case any objection is made by the
agents of either candidate, and the voter
insists upon casting his ballot, the pre-
siding officer gives him a ballot paper |
from the small ballot book. The pro-
cedure is the same as though the man
were casting an unchallenged vote, but |
his ballot is thrown aside when the votes |
are counted and the objections to it cen
sidered later befoDe it is counted. If |
any voter is unable TO read or write, it |
is the sworn duty of the presiding officer |
to go with HIM to the table, tell him the |
names of the candidates, and place the |
cross opposite the name that the voter |
wishes, and he must never reveal the |
name of the candidate selected.
The polls are closed at SO'clOck in the |
evening, after having been open twelve |
hours. The presiding officer is expect |
ed to he present all the time; he Is |
allowed to be absent not more than thir- |
ty minutes during the twelve hours, |
and for those thirty minutes he must |
appoint deputy. Immediately on the |
close of the polls the ballot box is sealed |
up, all the papers and books made into |
q parcel, ali ballots spoiled by voters |
placed together and sealed. and an ac-
count made of every piece of paper used |
in the polling booth during the day. |
The presiding officer and his clerks, |
with the agents, then take the box and |
packages to the shire town of the county, |
where lie swearS to his returns and |
where the votes are counted.