Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-10-15
HOW TO VOTE!
Full Text of the Australian Ballot Law
Showing the Manner of Casting the
Ballot"

SECTION 16. Any person desiring TO
vote and legally entitled to vote at such
election shall give his name and resi-
dence to the election officer holding the
ballots, who shall write the same upon
| the main stub of the ticket IN the blank
places provided therefor. Such officers
shall then mark upon the secondary stub
the electors registered number, in all
precincts in which registration law Is
in force. and in all other precincts the
electors full name.
One of the election officers shall then
detach the ballot, with the secondary
stub attached. from the main stub and
shall hand it to the electOr, and the
elector shall be allowed to enter the
place inclosed by the guard-rail. The
officer shall give him one, and only one
| ballot.
Marking of Ballot by ElectOr.
On receiIt of his ballot the elector
| shall forthwith, and without leaving the
| inclOsed space, retire alone to one OF the
voting shelves, as provided, and shall
prepare his ballot by marking in the ap-
propriate margin or place, a cross mark
| (x) Immediately preceding the name Of
the candidate of his choice for each
| office to be filed, and in case of a ques-
ton submitted to the vote of the people,
by marking in the appropriate margin or
place, a cross mark * against the an
swer which he desires to give.
The Best Method of Voting.
Should any elector desire to vote for
each and every candidate of one party he
shall make cross mark (x) before the
name of that party in the blank space
provided therefor; provided, howev r,
that if a cross mark (x) be made before
the name of any party, and cross mark
be also made before the name of one or
more candidates of different party or
parties, the vote shall be counted for the
candidates so marked, and not for the
candidates for the same Office of the
party so marked; but the vote shall be
counted for the other candidates under
such party. name or designation.
When Ballots Shall Not BE Counted.
If the elector mark more names than
there are persons to be elected to an
Office, or if. for any reason, it is impos-
sible to determine the voters choice for
an Office to be filled, his ballot shall not
be counted for such Office. No ballot
shall be rejected for any technical error
which does not make it impossible to de-
termine the voters choice.
Any Name May BE Inserted.
Nothing in this act contained shall be
30 construed as to prevent voter from
voting for any qualified person other
than those whose names are printed on
the ballots, for any Office to be filled, by
writing in black lead pencil mark or ink,
under the designation OF the Office, the
name of such person and placing before
such name a cross % mark. All mark
ings upon the ballots shall be made by
black lead pencil or ink,
Ballot Must Be Folded.
SECTION II. Before leaving the voting
shelf the elector all fold his ballot
without displaying the marks thereon,
except the Endorsements, and the fac
simile of the signatures of the members
of the board OF election must be dis
closed.
Receiving the Ballot.
One of the election officers shall re-
ceive the ballot, detach the secondary
stub bearing the electors registered num-
ber or name, and deposit the ballot in
the ballot-bo The secondary stub
shall be preserved until the polls are
closed and shall then be destroyed, be-
fore the ballot-box is opened. He shall
mark and vote his ballot without undue
delay, and shall leave said inclosed place
as soon as he has voted.
Occupation of Voting Shelf.
No such elector shall be allowed to oc-
cupy a voting shelf already occupied by
another, or to occupy a voting shelf for
more than five minutes, in case all such
shelves are in use and electors are wait
ing to occupy the same, or to speak to,
or to converse with any one, except as
herein provided, while within such
guard-rail. No elector, not judge of
elections, Shall be allowed to re-enter
said inclosed place during said election.
No more electors shall be allowed to
enter within said rail at any one time
than there are voting shelves provided.
1t shall be the duty of the judges of
elections to secure the observance of the
provisions of this section.
New Ballots May Be Supplied.
Every elector who does not vote bal
lot delivered to him by the ballot officer
shall, before leaving the polling place.
return such ballot to such officer. If any
elector soil or deface ballot so that it
cannot be used, he may successively OBJ
tain others, one at time, not exceeding
In all three, upon returning each ballot
SO soiled or defaced.
As to Electors Unable to Mark Ballots.
Any elector who declares to the pre-
siding judge OF election, that for any
reason he is unable to mark his ballot,
shall, upon request, receive the assist
ance of two Of the judges of election, be-
longing to different political parties, in
the marking thereof, and they shall
thereafter give no information in regard
to the matter. The presiding judge
may, in his discretion, require such dec
laration of disability to he made by the
elector under oath before him.
What Ballots Must Be Rejected.
No ballot without the official indorse-
ment shall be allowed to be deposited in
the ballot box, and none but ballots pro-
vided in accordance with the provisions
| of this act shall be counted.
| Mckinley Prices.
So much has been said by the Demo