South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-10-28
'IHElNTELLIGENCER
FRIDAY. OCTOBER 80. 1899.
HOW TO VOTE
In West Virginia Under the Anstra.
liam System.


At the last ses. ion OF the Legis-
lature an act was passed providing
that hereafter at all elections the
Australian Ballot System shall
be used, and as this is new and not
understood by the majority of the
voters, we give what is said to be
tie main points OF the law for tho
careful perusal Of our readers
Noone except the election officers
aud whose business require their
presence, and voters while going to
and from the election room, snail
be or remain within sixty feet OF
the room where the ballotirg is go
ing on. The voter, on arriving at
the place Of voting, will receive
from the commissioners q ballot,
containing on one sheet the nomi-
nees of all the political parties. In
a column on one side will be the
Democratic ticket, on the other the
Republican ticket. and between the
two the tickets of the other politi
cal parties. At the head of each
column of political party nomina-
tons shall be printed, in large,
clear type, the name of the politi-
cal party which the candidates re-
present, so that no one need make
a mistake and vote the wrong tick
ct. Each voting place shall be sup
piled with not less than two or more
than four booths or private rooms.
Into one of these the voter enters
with the ballot above described,
and may remain NOT MORE THAN
FIVE MINUTES while he is preparing
his ballot, which is done as follows:
Suppose he is solid Democrat and
wishes to vote that ticket straight,
he simply runs his pen down over
the other tickets from top to bot
tom remember each ballot contains
all the party tickets) and thus can
cells them. II there is any man on
the ticket against whom he wants
to vote, he scratches that name off,
and, if he desires, writes another
namc directly below in space pro-
vided for that purpose. Every al
teration or scratch must be made
with ink; lead pencil will not do.
Ii he spoils his ballot he MUST RE-
TURN 1T TO THE COMMISSIONER
and another will be given him,
which after beng prepared he will
hand to the commissioners for de-
post in the bsllot box II any vo-
ter cannot read and is therefore un-
able TO prepare his ballot the two
clerks will assist him.
NOTES.
The voter must be a male citizen
81 years of age.
lie must have been resident of
the State one year and Of the coun-
ty 60 days preceding the election.
He must be an actual BONA PIDE
resident of the district in which he
offers to vote.
If the voter has been in the conn.
ty and State the required time he
may move from one district to ano-
Their in the same county on the day
Of the election aud be entitled to
vote at the new place.
A person of unsound mind, a
pauper or one who is under convic-
ton Of treason, felony or bribery in
an election, cannot vote.
When q man within the year has
accepted aid from the county either
in money or in being kept at the
poor house he comes within the
meaning of the term "pauper."
Working away from home for an
Incorporated company, does not
make one a resident Of the county
or district where he works. He
may, however, declare that place as
his home and thereby gain q voting
residence.
II two or more ballots are rolled
together and are exactly alike, one
Of them only shall DO counted. If
they are different neither shall be