Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-08-12

the officers whose duty it is by law to
designate the polling places shall de-
termine the number and situation of the
polling places in each town, city or vii
lage, and shall appoint four persons to act
and be known as ballot clerks for each
polling place within their jurisdiction.
Two OF such clerks shall be appointed
from The party casting the largest num-
Der of votes, and two from the party
casting the next largest number of votes
at the last preceding election. The four
clerks so appointed shall have charge of
the ballots at such election, and furnish
them to the voters as hereinafter pro-
vided.
Sec. 81. The officer whose duty it is to
designate the polling places shall cause
the same to be suitably provided with
Il sufficient number of voting booths or
compartments furnished with conven-
lent shelves on which the voters may
conveniently mark their ballots and in
the marking thereof be screened from
the observation of others, and such boot hs
shall lie supplied with the proper con-
veniences for marking The ballot.
/ guard rail- shall be so construct
eel aud placed HAT only such persons n
afc inside of said rail can approach with
in six feet of the ballot boxes and Of
such voting booths or compartments
| The arrangement s!!al! be such that nei-
ther the ballot boxes nor the voting
booths or compartments shall be hidden
from view Of those Just outside the
guard rail- The number of such voting
booths or compartments shall not be less
than enc for every scventy-five voters
qualified to vote at such polling place.
Each booth or compartment shall be at
least three feet wide and contain Il
shelf at least one foot wide eX-
tending across one side of such booth
or compartment at Il convenient height
for writing. No persons other than the
election officers and voters admitted as
hereinafter provided, shall be permitted
within said guard rail, except by author
ity of the election officers for the pur-
pose of enforcing the law. The officers
charged with providing booths shall
so furnish for each polling place
the required ballot boxes, which shall be
large enough to properly receive and
! hold the ballots to be cast for candidates
for office IN conformity with The prOvs-
ions of This act. The expense thereof
shall be "A public charge to be paid by the
town, city or village for which such
boxes are provided.
See. rs. The bolot clerks shall at all
times be under the supervision of the
presiding officer aforesaid; shall keep
the ballots within the polling place, and
in plain view of the public and deliver
them only to qualified voters. Every
qualified voter before receiving his ballot,
shall announce his name and place of
residence in clear, audible tone of voice
to the ballot clerk or present the same
in writing, and if such name is found up
on the check list by the ballot clerk hav-
ing charge thereof, he shall repeat the
name, and the voter shall be allowed to
enter the space enclosed by the guard
rail. and the ballot clerk shall give him
one, and only one, ballot, and his name
shall be immediately checked on said
list.
Sec. ~. On receiving his ballot, the
voter shall. forthwith, and without leav
ing the polling place or going outside of
said guard rail, retire alone to one of the
booths or apartments not occupied 10y
any other person, and prepare his ballot
by marking IN the appropriate margin or
place cross [N) opposite the name of
the candidate of his choice for each Office
to be iled, or by tillng in the name of
the candidate of his choice in the blank
space provided therefor. and making IL
cross (\) opposite thereto; and in case
of IA question submitted to the vote of the
people, 10y marking in the appropriate
margin or place, cross (N) against the
answer which lie desires to give. Before
leaving the booth or compartment, the
voter shall fold his ballot without dis
playing the marks thereon, and keep the
same so folded until he has delivered The
ballot or ballots to the presiding officer,
then he shall forthwith proceed outside
the guard rail by the exit thereof, and
shall not again enter such enclosed space
during such poll, unless he is an election
officer. No voter shall be allowed to
occupy voting booth or compartment
for more than five minutes, when other
voters are waiting to occupy the same.
Sec. IS. No person shall take or re-
move any ballot from the polling place
before the close of the polls. If any
voter spolS Il ballot he may successfully
obtain others, one AT ii time, not exceed
ing three in all, upon returning each
spoiled one. The ballot thus returned
shall be Immediately cancelled, and to-
gellIer with those not distributed to the
voters, shall be preserved and shall he
secured in sealed packages and returned
To the county, town, city or village clerk
from whom it was received.
Sec. 20. Any voter who declares to
the presiding officer aforesaid on oath
that he is unable by reason of physical
or mental disability to mark his ballot,
shall, upon request, receive the assist
ance of one of the election officers select
ed by him in the marking thereof: and
such officer shall certify on the outside
thereof that it was so marked with his
assistance and shall thereafter give no
information regarding the same.
Sec. 30. If the voter marks more
names than there are persons to be elect
ed to an office, or if for any reason it
is impossible to determine the voters
choice for any office to be filled, his
ballot shall not be counted for such
office. No ballot without the official en-
dorsement shall, except as herein other
wise provided, be allowed to be deposited
in the ballot box, and none but ballots
provided in accordance with the pro-
visions of this act shall be counted.
Ballots not counted shall be marked