Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-03-27
Federal Election Bill.

NlaSSacnuSettS, 5OMalrtnaN OF the
House committee Yh tho election of
President aud Vice President and
Representatives hCongyess to-day
introduced a bill Mregulate elections
of Representativeaan Congress. Mr..
Lodge says the bigis vory carefully
drawn after consultation with many
persons. II is a ySluminous bill of
twcnty-one sectio8.
1t provides Tiff, whenever 500
persons, voters and residents in any
Congressional DISTRICT of the United
States, not less 3han two months
prior to the next election of Repre-
sentatives, pctitioh the Judge of the
District Court tp place the next
Congressional election in said dis
trict under tho provisions of this
Act, it shall be the duty of such
Judge to announce that the next
Congressional election in said dis
trict will be held under the pro-
vision OF this Act. The Judge shall
then appoint such officers of election
and registration and make such
other provision for the conduct of
the Congressional election as are
hereafter provided.
There arc to be two registers of
voters for each voting precinct, one
of whom shall-be member of the
party which at the next preceding
Presidential election pollcd the high
est number of votes, and one q mem
Der of the party which pollcd the
next highest number of votes. These
registers arc to prepare prclimi-
nary list of the voters of their pre-
cinct, which shall be posted publicly,
and give notice that they will meet
at specified times and places to reg
lister voters. Within three days
after the posting of lists the regis
ters shall begin to hold meetings,
which shall be public, to register all
duly qualified voters who may come
before them and who are not already
registered. Registration shall cease
not less than ten days before cleo
ton. The second list of voters shall
then be published, but no names
shall be added after tho close Of
registration, and no names shall be
stricken off except on proof of
death or removal from the Congress
sional District.
1t shall be the duty of the regis
tcrs on election day to present at
the polling place and furnish one
copy of the amended list to the in
spectors for use at the ballot box.
They shall also bring another list,
upon which they shall check off the
name of each voter who seeks
admittance within the rail in order
to vote; and no one shall be admit
ted within the rail to vote unless his
name appears on the registered list,
nor until his name has been called
and checked off the list by the reg
listers.
There shall be provided for each
voting place three sets of such bal
lots, each of not less than 100 for
every fifty and fraction of SO regis
tered male voters therein, and it
shall be the duty of registers of the
voters i'll each precinct to certify to
the Clerk of the District Court,
fourteen days previous to such cleo
ton, the number of male registered
voters in such voting precinct.
Provision is also made for the print
ing and distribution of instructions
for the guidance Of voters as to
obtaining ballots, manner of marking
them, &c.
| AS to the manner Of voting, il is
provided that the inspectors (pro-
vision for which is madc) and regis
tcrs in each voting precinct shall
designate and appoint, and if they
fail to at least five days before the
election, then the Judge Of the Dis
trict Court shall designate and ap-
point a polling place therein, at a
convenient place, and shall cause to
be provided q sufficient number of
voting shelves or compartments at
or in which voters may conven-
icntly mark their ballots, so that in
the marking they may be screened
from the observation of others; and
a guard rnil shall be so constructed
and placed that only such persons as
are inside of il can approach within
twenty feet of the ballot boxes and
of such shelves or compartments.
1t is further provided that all bal
lots cast at an election for Repre-
sentatives in Congress held under
tho Droyisiona of this ot oftor tbn