Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-05-06
AN IMPORTANT SUGGESTION.

year 81; Six nontns, Sl' Ihree nion'ho' SoA
AN IMPORTANT SUGGESTION.
The question Of election OF presl-
Dental electors is.by no means as serious
a question as the absolute absence OF
state machinery to canvass the votes,
not only for electors but all state officers.
There Is no law providing how the vote
shall be ~canvassed and result declared.
In the last legislature Senator Cashel
introduced a measure providing for a
state board of canvassers, consisting of
the governor, attorney general and Sec
rotary of state. This bill Senate File
23) passed the senate, went to the house,
was amended by adding the chief justice
and auditor to the board, making it a
body of five, three constituting a
quorum. AS so amended the bill passed
the house on Thursday, March 6-the
day before adjournment. According to
the senate record it was reported back
"unchanged," the amendment probably
having been lost in the rush incident to
the last days of the session. The bill,
instead of going to the committee on en-
crossed and enrolled bills, was left on
the clerks table and it was there with
many others, after adjournment.
By common consent and cooperation
of the press, various county and state
officials and people generally, all trouble
regarding the matter Of presidential
electors and canvass OF votes may be
avoided, and the whole matter ratified
and legalized by the next legislature.
Let the electors be nominated and
elected the same as other state officers.
Let the votes be canvassed in accord
ance with the following, which it was
the intention OF the last legislature,
unanimously, to have enacted and which
ought to have become a law. The next
legislature can enact it and legalize all
acts performed in accordance there
with:
An Act to Provide for a Board of State Canvas
sers.
Be it Enacted by the Legislative Assembly of
the State of North Dakota:
SECTION l. The governor, chief justice,
secretary of state, auditor and attorney
general shall constitute the board of state
canvassers, three of whom shall be a quo
rum for the transaction of business, and if
one only of said officers attend on the day
appointed for a meeting of the board, then
he is hereby authorized to summons two
others of the state officers who, on being
az 11 h-y fh0 nTFnn on 0ffnnHInr h
attend without delay and with him shall
form the board.
SEC. 2. When a member of said board is
a candidate for any office as to which the
votes are to be canvassed by him, the chief
Justice, upon the request OF any opposing
candidate, shall designate some other state
officer who shall act in his stead at the seS-
sion of the board at which the votes given
for such member are to be canvassed.
Sec. 8. 1t shall be the duty Of the
county auditor of each county of this state,
under his official seal, to return to the Sec
rotary of state. on or before the first Tues
day Of December following any general
election and within thirty days following
any special election, a certified abstract of
the number Of votes cast in his respective
county at said election for every candidate
for state and congressional Offices. and
electors fer president and vice president
and for amendments to the constitution or
pIOpUSlUlOuD ouuIllCSCu ny VAO 4SSloluIANS
assembly of the state of North Dakota.
Sea-. The secretary of state upon the
receipt Of the certified abstracts of the
votes given in the several counties, directed
to be sent to him by the county auditors,
shall record the result ct such election by
serve the certified statements so by him re-
ceived from the county auditors, and if no
such statement shall be received by him
from the county auditor of any county
prior to the time specified for the meeting
of said board of state canvassers, he may
dispatch a special messenger to obtain such
statement from the county auditor thereof,
at the expense of said county, and such
auditor shall Immediately, on demand OF
such messenger. make and deliver to him
the statement required, which the messen-
ger shall deliver to the secretary Of state,
as soon as may be, to be recorded and filed
by him as aforesaid.
SEC. s. For the purpose of canvassing
and ascertaining the result Of such cleo.
ton, the state board of ~canvassers shall
meet at the office of the secretary of state
on the second Tuesday Of December, next
after a general election and within forty
DAYS after a special election, and the secre.
bers of the board of the same.
SEC. 6. The board when thus formed
shall examine such certified statements OF
the county %canvassers, and II it shall ap'
pear that any material mistake has been
made in the computation of votes given for
any person, or that the county ~canvassers
in any county have omitted to canvass the
votes, or any part thereof, cast at any poll
in their county, the board may dispatch a
messenger to the county auditor of such
county, at the expense Of said county, with
their requirement in writing to him to Ger.
tify the facts concerning such mistake and
the reason why such votes were not can
vassed: and the county auditor to whom
any such requirement is delivered shall
forthwith make a true and full answer
thereto, under his hand I'M official seal
and deliver the same to such messenger
who shall deliver the same with all con
venient dispatch to the secretary of state
SEC. Z. The said board may adjourn, as
may be necessary, from day to day not ex'
ceeding ten days in all.
SEC. 8. Upon the certified statements
and return so received, the board shall pro.
coed to examine and make a statement OF
the whole number of votes given at any such
election for each and all state officers; and
another statement of the votes given fol
representatives in congress in each con
gressional district; each of which state
ments shall show the names of the persons
to whom such vote shall have been given fol
either of said Offices, and the whole num-
her If votes given to each. Distinguishing