The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-05-25
AEFORM BY
MACHINERY.
Full Synopsis Of the
New Electoral
Law.
OFFICIAL BALLOTS.
COMPULSORY SECRECY.
HEAVY PENALTIES.
The System is Cumbrous,
Complicated, Expensive
and Full of Loop
holes for Fraud.
Special to TIE Sunday Mornino Ns,c..

Special to the Sunday Morning Ne,cs
TRENTON, May "a, 1907 ballot re-
form bill is now in the hands of the Gov
ernor and will probably become law on
r Monday by receiving his signature
The first section provides for the APP
pointment by the Governor of a county
board of registration of four persons.
They must be residents of the county for
which they are appointed and not more
than two shall be OF the same political
party
Before the expiration Of thirty days
after the approval of the act the chair
men Of the County Committees of each
party can nominate two persons for ap-
pointment on such Board. They will
hold Office for one year. Ii the chairmen
tail to make the nominations the Govern
Or may appoint of his own accord.
The second section provides that the
Board shall organize two weeks after its
appointment by electing a president and
secretary who shall not be of the sarde
political party. If the Board cannot
agree on the officers the oldest
member in point of years is to
be chairman, and the next Oldest secre-
tary. Within forty but no sooner than
tulrtY udyS dAleT organization, b1e B0arQ
Is to appoint in every precinct four legal
voters, TWO from each party, who are TO
constitute al board of registry and cleo
ton. None of them shall hold any pub
lie Office. The chairmen of the County
Commi tees are to nominate these. boards
the same as the county boards. Each
board OF registry and election shall ap-
point two poll or registry clerks not of
the same political party. and neither OF
whom shall hold any public office.
THE REGISTRATION.
BY section third the clerks are required
to take an oath to faithfully perform
their duties, and the fourth section pro-
yldes for their organization. 1t further
provides that the boards OF registry and
election having taken the oath shall, on
the same day, proceed 10 ascertain the
p8mes, residences and streets numbers
d Of all voters residing whiting their cleo
ton districts by making actual enquiry
at every dwelling house or habitation or
of the head OF every family. and shall
continue such enumeration Of voters,
from day to day until completed. The
enumeration is to terminate on or before
the Saturday next succeeding. The name
of every voter whose place of abode shall
be in any family or habitation but who
may be casually or temporarily absent is
to be entered. The Board may divide
their districts into sub districts, and one
of each party may be designated by the
chairman to take the enumeration In
each subdivision No name shall be en-
tered ON the canvassing books without
the concurrence of both members, or IL
the enumeration be made by the entire
Board, without the concurrence of ma
jority.
Section 8 provides that on the Tuesday
three weeks next preceding the election
for members of the Assembly the Boards
of Registration and Election shall meet
at the places III their respective election
districts where the election will be held,
from seven O'Clock in the morning to nine
O'Clock in the evening, but may take q
recess from one to two o'clock The
clerks will then transcribe and make up
from the canvassing books two lists or
registers, alphabetically, OF the names,
residences and street numbers, of all
persons in the election districts entitled
TO vote, or who shall personally appear
before them for that purpose. or who
shall be shown to the satisfaction Of the
Board to have legally voted in that cleo
ton district at the last preceding election
therein for members OF the General AS
sembly, or who shall be shown by the af
ddavit in writing Of some voter in that
election district TO be legal voter there
in. II naturalized person is chal-
lenged he must show to the satisfaction
Of a majority of the Board that he is en-
titled to vote.
Section sixth provides that when COM
pleted the list must be exposed in pub
Tic place IN bhe precinct.
On the tuesday preceding the election
for Assemhlymen the Board is TO remain
in session from seven q. m. to nine D. M,
TO revise and correct the lists by adding
those who show they are entitled to vote
and erasing those who are shown not to
be entitled to vote.
TO PREVENT FRAUD.
Section II declares that all proceedings
OF the Boards shall be open to the public.
Section IL provides that no one shall be
allowed TO vote who IS not on the
registry.
Section IA provides for checking a
voters name on one OF the registry VINE n
he has voted and the fling of the list SO
checked with the County Clerk and the
placing of the other in the ballot box as
now required by law.
Registering in more than one district
or causing others to do SO or falsely re-
presenting registered voter is by section
Is made punishable by fine not exceed
3 ing $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding
five years, or both.
Section 16 compels the Board toregister
any man who shall satisfy them by
affidavit that he will be entitled to vote
at the next ensuing election and il per-
so1iymakes such affidavit falsely he shall
be guilty of perjury. Section II
provides that if u man moves
from one. precinct to another between
registry day and election he may obtain
certificate from the precinct in which
be is registered, which shall entitle MIN
to be registered in the precinct in which
he resides. In section Is 1t is provided
that on the Thursday preceding the fall
election the Court OF Common Pleas
shall be in session and shall continue
from day to day for the purpose Of revis-
ing the lists fled with the County Clerk,
and all persons shown not to be entitled
to vote shall be erased But no ones
name is to be erased unless the person
a5'Iaed is present on it be shown he had
- tbis&of the proceedings. The court
order added to The list anyone
prove his right to vote.
provides that the act shall
next November election, and
and % provide for the APP
yle law to municipal cleo
ll occur on " before Sep