Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-24


each ballot, so as to be exposed when
folded, is to be printed in large type the
words "Oficial Ballot for" followed
by q fac smile OF the signature of the
County Clerk. The blank is to be filled
with the designation of TIE polling place.
Two hundred ballots of each kind are to be
printed for every fifty and fraction Of fifty
voters in precinct.
If there is complaint that the Clerk has
enormously printed the ballots, certain
Judges of certain Courts are given power
to hear the case and order the necessary
correction. The Clerk may on his own
motion also correct any obvious error.
Careful provision is made for the delivery
OF the ballots and their final arrival in the
hands of the Inspectors OF Election, and
provision is also made for Supplying extra
ballots in case of loss of originals by Town
Clerks, to whom the County Clerks for
ward them. If this supply of extra bal
lots from any cause becomes impossible,
unofficial written ballots, as nearly like
the official as is possible under the circum-
stances, may be used by the Inspectors. In
case of the death or ineligibility of any
candidate just before the election, unofii-
eial ballots may be used for that particular
vacancy. The elected Inspectors appoint
one Ballot Clerk and the appointed In
spectols another. One Ballot Clerk must
be chosen from the political party that at
the next preceding election polled the
largest vote on State issues. and another
from the party that polled the next high
est vote.
At all the polling places there are 10 be
booths with conyeniences for writing, and
the booth must be of form to screen
each voter from observation as he prepares
his ballot Guard-rails are TO be so placed
that persons outside of them cannot come
nearer than six feet to the ballot-box, and
the voting compartments must be reached
by passing within the guard-rail. The
compartments are to be in plain view OF
those just outside the guard-rail. Every
compartment is to have four sides six feet
high, and a door on one side reaching
within two feet of the floor and swinging
outward Inside there is to be shelf a
foot wide on which to write.
In no voting precinct can there be
listed more than three hundred voters. To
them the ballot clerks deliver the ballots
as they come to the ballot-box. As the
voter is supplied his name is entered, with
the printed number of the ballots he re-
ceives, each group having common num-
Der. At the same time two clerks, or an
Inspector and clerk, indorse their initials
on the back of the ballots. The voter of
course receives one of each of the several
kinds of ballots He then retires into the
compartment and prepares his ballot On
returning to the ballot-box he hands the
Inspector the folded ballot he wishes to
vote. The Inspector, after calling out the
name and number Of the voter and satisfy
ing himself that the ballot is one that was
delivered officially, tears off the stub, thus
destroying the identity of the ballot as
related to ,bs voter, and the ballot is then
cast. The voter must return 10 the Elec-
ton Board and folded all the unused bal
lots he took into the booth, and these are
put into box through slot and at the
close of the canvass of the vote, the box
and contents are burned by the Election
Board.
In the privacy of the compartment the
voter may erase or write any name upon
a ballot, or he may use paster ballot
name by name that he is permitted TO
carry into the booth, or he can paste the
whole paster ballot over the official one
provided the former is printed in con-
formity with the regulation ballot style.
Three minutes constitute the minimum,
and ten the maximum for the occupancy
of compartment by voter. No one is
allowed inside the guard rail except the
elector when voting, the police officers,
the election officers and watchers provided
by the law. Challenging is to be con-
Quoted as under the old law. If voter
spoils a ballot he may receive new one,
but not to exceed four times can the
operation be repeated, but the spoiled
ballots must be returned, sealed up and
finally deposited with the County Clerk
and an entry of the spelling and the OBJ
tanning of new set must be made on the
poll list
If physically unable to prepare his bal
lot, and by his oath he proves it, the voter
may take one friend into the compart-
ment with him to aid him, and the fact is
to be recorded on the poll list. 1t is
made crime for such an assistant to re-
veal the vote of an elector, or to attempt
to persuade him to vote for or against any
one. Severe penalties are provided for
violation of the law, especially for at
tempts to counterfeit ballots or deface
them, or procure fraudulent certificates,
or nominations by petition, and for some
of these offenses the penalty involves con-
fnement in the State prison. The pun
ishment of election officers for fraud,
neglect, refusal to comply with the law,
revealing, interference or lobbying with
voters, false counting and returning, or
failing to return unused ballots, ETC., is
severe.
1t is made crime to deliver to any
voter ballot except from the hands Of an
Inspector. The voter inside the guard
rail cannot name for whom he votes, nor