Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-14
how 70 Do It RIGHT.
The Proper Way of Voting I'M
der the New Australian
Election Law.
Instructions to Voters Which
it Is Well to Study
and Observe.

For the Information oil the many who
have not yet acquainted themselves with
the intricacies Of the Australian system
OF voting, under which the coming election
will be held, The MINER deems it advisable
to reproduce the Constructions to Voters
which are now posted throughout the
county by order OF the county commits.
sioners. The instructions, it will be seen,
begin very much like the old recipefor cook.
ing a hare, but as a ballot is an absolute
necessity in order to complete the act OF
voting, instruction one is not out of place.
Following are the instructions and also
excerpts from the law governing elections
under the new system Of voting:
First-Procure a ballot from the Judges
OF election, see that it is stamped on the
back "Oficial Ballot" then retire to one
OF the booths or compartments and pre-.
pare your ballot.
Second-Mark q cross before or after the
name Of each person for whom you wish to
vote. Thus: X.
II you wish to vote for the constitution,
cross out against the constitution" II
you wish to vote against the constitution,
cross out ''for the constitution"
II you wish to vote for additional school
bonds for school district No. ], cross out
''ior additional school bonds for school
district No. 1. No." Ifyou wish to vote
against the issuance OF additional school
bonds for school district No. l., cross out
"ior additional school bonds for school
district No. /. Yes"
You may write in the blank spaces, or
paste over another name the name OF any
person for whom you wish to vote.
II you wish to vote for an entire group
you may mark q cross as above described
against the political designation OF such
group. You shall then be deemed to have
voted for all the persons in such group
whose names shall NOT have been erase J.
In marking your ballot yeua are at liberty
to use or copy any unofficial sample bal
lot which you may mark or have marked
before you enter the polling place, but no
elector shall be at liberty to use or bring
into the polling place any unofficial sample
ballot, printed in the exact style, manner
and character of paper as the official bal
lot.
After preparing your ballot You must
fold it so that the face Of the ballot will be
concealed, and 80 that the endorsement
thereon may be seen and deposit it with
the judges OF election.
Third. II by accident or mistake you
should spoil your ballot, you may, on re-
turning said spoiled ballot, receive another
in the place thereof.
No more than one person shall occupy
any one compartment at one time, and no
person shall occupy any compartment
longer than may be necessary to prepare
his ballot, and in no event longer than five
minutes; provided that the other compart-
ments are occupied.
The section OF the act prohibiting cleo
pioneering by any officer OF election on
election day, and likewise electioneerirg by
any person within any polling place or
building in which an election is being held.
is very plain, and also the provisions for
the protection OF official ballots. TIL
section referred to is section "a, and reads
as follows:
No officer OF election shall do any cleo
pioneering on election day. No person
whatsoever shall do any e"lectioneering on
election day within any polling place, or
any building in which In election is being
held, or within twenty five feet thereof, nor
obstruct the doors or entries thereto, or
prevent free ingress to n egress from
said building. Any election officer, sheriff,
constable or other peace officer is hereby
authorized and empowered, and it is here
by made his duty to clear the passageways
and prevent such obstruction, n to ar
rest auy person 30 doing. No person hall
remove any ballot from the polling place
before the closing OF the polls. No person
shall show his ballot after it is marked to
any person in such a way as to reveal the
contents thereof, or the name Of the candi-
date or candidates for whom he
has marked his vote, nor shall
any person solicit the elector to show the
same; nor shall any person except a judge
of election receive from any elector a bal.
lot prepared for voting. No elector shall
receive q ballot from any other person than
one OF the judges OF election having charge
OF the ballots, nor shall any person other
than such judges OF election deliver q bal
lot to such eIector. No elector shall vote
or offer to vote any ballot except such az
he has received from the judges Of election
having charge OF the ballots. No elector
shall place any mark upon his ballot by
which it may afterw ards be identified al
the one voted by him. Every elector who
does not vote a ballot delivered to him by
the jud .es OF election having charge OF the
ballots shall, before leaving the polling
places, return such ballot to such judges.
Whoever shall violate any OF the provisions
OF this section shall be deemed guilty OF a
misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof
in any court OF competent jurisdiction
shall be fined in any sum not exceeding
500 and a~djudged to pay the cost OF
prosecution.