The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-11-04
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS.

The Australian system Of balloting
which will be used in general election
for the first time, in this state, is sure
to make more of less confusion. 1t
can not be impressed to early or too
often upon the minds of the voters
that great care is necessary in mark
ing the ballot. If a person is able to
read and write he is given ballot and
has to enter compartment alone and
mark it unassiSted. So necessary has
it been deemed to instruct all in the
use of this ballot, that Hon. f. p.
Brown, secretary of state, has issued
the following Instructions:
The judges of election will furnish
each person entitled to vote with one
ballot of each kind that is to be voted.
The voter will then retire, alone, TO
one of the stalls or rooms provided for
that purpose, and mark cross (X)
mark on the line ofthe name of each
candidate for whom he wishes to vote,
in the space left for that purpose.
He will then fold his ballot in such
way as to conceal the face of it, but
so that the initials of the judges of
the judges of election may be seen on
it's back, hand it to one of the judges
who shall deposit it in the proper box.
The voter will then retire from the
voting room. If a voter, by mistake
spoils a ballot, he shall return it to
the judges of election, who shall pre-
serve it, and furnish the elector with
a new one. If the voter places cross
(X) mark opposite the names of two or
more persons running for the same Of
fee, said ballot shall not be counted
for those officers.
Voters may be allowed to carry with
them sample ballot for use in assist
ing them in marking the official bal
lot.
If any person during the day Of cleo
ton, and before the closing CT the
polls, remove from the polling room
any of the ballots printed for that
election, he shall be guilty of mis-
demeanor and shall be punished by a
fine not exceeding one hundred I00)
dollars, or Imprisonment not exceed
ing six months, or both.
When an electOr shall make oath
that he cannot read or that he cannot
read English, or that because of phys
ical disability, he cannot mark his bal
lot, he shall have right to call to his
aid one or more of the judges of cleo
ton, or qualified elector who shall
read the ballot to and mark the bal
lot for each, in the presence of two of
the judges Of election, provided that
no person shall so mark the ballots Of
more than three voters in any one cleo
tion district, at one election. Such
person shall mark the ballot as direct
ed by such voter and not otherwise.
ANY judge of election, or any person
marking the ballot of any voter, who
shall disclose to any other person the
name of any candidate voted for by
such election, or shall mark the ballot
in any other manner than directed by
the voter, shall be guilty of misde
meanor and on conviction shall be
punished by fine of not less than
thirty (3O) dollars, nor more than two
hundred (200) dollars, or by imprisOn
ment in the county jail not less than
ten days nor more than ninety days,
or both such fine and Imprisonment.
Any person in the polling room or
compartment connected Herewith,
who shall persuade or attempt to per-
Suade any person to vote for any Lar-
ticular candidate, shall be guilty of a
miSdemeanOr for each and every per-
son SO approached, and on conviction
shall be punished by fine or by i'm
prisonment.
If any person after having marked
his ballot, shows it to anyone except
as hereinbefore provided, the judge of
election shall refuse to receive or place
in the ballot box Sllch a ticket