Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-28
HOW TO VOTE.
A Manual of the New State Eieo-
tion Law to Be Issued.

1t VIII Prove n Compendium of Useful
Information for Election Officers and
Citizens Generaily--Fuil Text of the Sec
tion ON " How TO Vote"
Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal
DOVER, Jan. 21.-The manual of the
registration and election laws for the
State, outside of the city Of Whining
ton, have been prepared by Secre-
tary of State Marvel and printed in
pamphlet form, but will not be ready
for distribution for about 10 days. Mr.
Marvel, in his preface gives the points
of the registration and election law that
are essential for the voters TO be ac-
quainted with, in concise form that
will make II easy for every voter to
learn what it is necessary for him to do
in order to qualify himself to vote. The
language of the section headed "How
to Vote" is as follows This is followed
with plan for voting room and a
description for the preparation. Then
follows the following instruction to the
voter:
When an elector is ready to vote, he
should enter the passageway, announce
his name to the election board. il chal-
lenged establish his right to vote, and
enter the door of the election room when
admitted, procure from one of the clerks a
ticket that has the initials of the clerks
written on the left-hand corner of the
back, and stamp from the other clerk.
He should then go alone into booth and
mark his ballot with the stamp. If he
wishes to vote straight ticket he marks
with the stamp in the square opposite the
title of the party with which he votes. If
he desires TO vote a mixed ticket, or to
omit entirely one or more offices, he should
al tha frAYf Of l,,, .,F
eachf candidate for whom he desires to
vote, and should stamp but once on any
square IL he desires to vote for any per-
son whose name docs not appear on the
ticket, he can substitute the name by writ
ing it in ink in the proper place on the
ticket. If he does not understand how to
mark his ballot, he should ask the voters
assistants to instruct him.
If any elcctor declares that by reason of
physical disability or inability either to
read or write, or both, he is unable to
mark or alter his ballot, he may call to his
assistance the voters assistants who, i'll
the presence of the elector, and in the
presence of each other, shall prepare the
ballot for voting, and, on request, shall
read over to such elector the names of the
candidates as marked or written.
If, by accident, an elector tears, mutt
lates, defaces or spoils ballot, he should
go at once to the clerk, return the same,
explain how the accident occurred, and
ask for another ballot.
Before leaving the booth he should fold
his ballot so that the initials of the clerks
on the back will show, but so that no part
of the face of the ballot can be seen.
When he has marked and folded his ballot
he should leave the BOOTH deliver the
stamp to the clerk from whom he received
it, and hand the folded ballot to the in
spector. who will put it in the ballot box
in his presence.
He should then leave the room and re
main 80 feet away from the polls.
t'Where there are two or more candidates
for the same office on the same ticket, as In
oase of candida for State senators, or mem
bers OF the House of Representatives, and the
title OF one ticket, and the names of one OF
| more, but less thai all, of such candidates on
another ticket are Stamped, the intention OF
the voter can not be determined, and the part
| OF the ballot Affected thereby will not be
counted. To avoid mistakes, the voter, II he
desires to vote a mixod ticket, should stamp
| the square in front of the name of each candi-
| date Tor whom he desires to vote.]
This Is followed by synopsis of the
duties Of every officer in relation to
elections, beginning with the governor.
Each paragraph that sets forth a duty
to be performed gives the page of the
pamphlet on which the full text of the
law may be found. This makes the ex-
animation of the law plain and easy to
every officer and voter, and will enable
| those not accustomed to examine an
| index to easily find the full text of the
law in relation to the duties to be per.
| formed by any officer. After this the
manual contains the constitutional pro,
visions and the State law in relation tc
| elections.