The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-01


the shelves are in use and other voters
are waiting to occupy them. The presid-
ing election officers must secure the OBJ
servance of these provisions of the law.
No person can take ballot away with
him. whether spoiled or not. If he does.
! the punishishment is fine of not over
$1,000 or imprisonment in Jail not over
one year. or both. If "a ballot is spoiled.
on returning it to the ballot clerk. he will
| give YOU another one at a time, but not
exceeding three in all. The man ,oho
| spoSls three ballots IOOses his cote.
| A voter who cannot read, is prevented
| by blindness or other physical disability
from marking his ballot can request the
| presiding officer to furnish him the aid
of one Of two of the election oficers-to
| be chosen by the voter.-The presiding
| officer can have such an applicant put
| under oath if he desires. The officer or
officers who assist have to certify on the
| outside of the ballot that it was marked
with their assistance, and afterward give
no information as to how they have
marked it. Remember, two classes of
| men and only two, can have assistance
in marking ballots :-First: Those who
are unable to read the ballot Second !:
Those who for a physical reason are un-
able to mark them. If man can read he
cannot be assisted merely because he is
stupid.
The Ballots Returned by the Voter
must be marked ''canceled' by the
ballot clerks, and the ballots not distribu-
ted, with the duplicate check list used, are
sent under the seal of the ballot clerks to
the town clerk. The board of selectmen
return the ballots marked "defective'' in
counting to the same officer.
A consideration of certain of the penal
ties which follow the violation of some
of the provisions of the law will perhaps
properly conclude this explanation. Like
other penalties some are light and some
are severe.
A voter who allows his ballot to be
seen by any person with an apparent in
tention of letting it be known how he is
about to vote, or who makes a false state
ment of his inability to mark his ballot,
or any person who interferes, or attempts
to interfere with any voter when inside
the enclosed place, or when marking his
ballot, or who endeavors to induce any
voter before votingIto show how he
marks or has marked his ballot, shall be
fined not less than five nor more than
800. Election officers should report any
of these violations to an officer, and the
officer must bring the offender before
court.
Any person who, previous to an cleo
ton, wilfully defaces or destroys any
posted, printed list of candidates, or
who, during an election wilfully defaces,
tears down, removes or destroys any
card of instruction or specimen ballot
posted for the information of voters, or
during an election, wilfully removes or
destroys any of the supplies furnished to
enable a voter to mark his ballot, or
wilfully hinders the voting of voters, is
subject to the same penalty.
Any person who
Falsely Makes or Willfully Defaces
or destroys any certificate of nomination
or nomination paper, or any part thereof
70 any letter of withdrawal; or files any
certificate of nomination or nomination
paper, or letter of withdrawal, knowing
the same or anypartthereof to be falsely
made; or suppresses any certificate of
nomination or nomination paper, or any
part which has been duly filed; or FORCES
on any ballot; or willfully destroys or de-
faces any ballot, or willfully delays the
delivery of any ballots or takes or re-
moves any ballot outside of the enclosure
provided for voting before the close of
the polls, shall be punished by a fine not
exceeding one thousand dollars or by
imprisonment in Jail not more than one
year, or by both fine and Imprisonment. |
Any public officer upon whom a duty |
is imposed by the law, who willfully |
neglects to perform such duty, or who |
willfully peforms it in such a way as to |
hinder the objects of this law, shall be |
punished by fine of not less than five, |
nor more than one thousand dollars, or |
by imprisonment in Jail for not more than |
one year, or by both such fine and i'm |
prisoment.
No man must think that the duties of |
other men directly concern him.
Do not vex your Soul
about the labors of the Secretary of |
State, or town clerk, OF board of select
men, or ballot clerks or election officers
They will take care of their duties, it is
for you only to observe yours. Your
duty is this, and remember this sentence
if you forget every other word have
said. To vote straight you make one
cross and only one; to vote in any other
way and vote for every officer you make
sixteen crosses instead of one. In these
lydys alone is safety.
l confidently believe that under this or
any other fair system of voting we have
a right to expect and will attain Repub-
lican success.
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