Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-05-21
ELECTION LAW.
Some interesting Hints TO Voters as TO
How to Prepare Ballots, Etc.

For the benefit OF these who may
be in doubt as to the law regulating
the coming corporation ard all sue
ceeding elections to be held in this
State, we give the few following facts.
The ticket to be found in another
part OF the paper is similar to the
ticket to be voted for IN the first
ward. Voters wishing to vote the
Democratic ticket will simply strike
out the Republican ticket by draw
ing one or more lines through the
ticket from top to bottom or simply
through the heading thereof, and
voters wishing to vote the Republi-
can ticket will strike out the Demo-
cratic.ticket in the same manner. If
You w,sh to vote the Republican
ticket, Int for Dir. McSherry for
mayor. vu will scratch out the
Democratic ticket as described above
aai ! rite j. w. McSherry on the
bIai line .elow the name Of S. Ell.
Martin, and voters wishing to vote
the Democratic ticket, but for Mr..
Martin, for mayer, will strike out the
Republican ticket and write S. Ii.
Martin In the space under the name
of Jas. McSherry. Voters may vote
for councilman in exactly the same
manner as described above. A voter
may vote for any person he chooses,
whether the name is printed CD eth
er of the tickets or not, by writing
the name of such person in the blank
space following the name of the po-
sition for which he wishes to vote
for such person. If any voter
desires he may ask either of the poll
clerks, one of whom is Democrat
and the other Republican, to as
sist him in the preparation Of his
ballot, and said clerk shall in the
presence of the other clerk give the
desired assistance, and if any clerk
shall after the election tell to any
one how any voter voted he sha II be
punished by fine and Imprisonment.
If any voter wastes a ticket in its
preparation he may return it to the
poll clerk from whom he first re-
ceives it and getanother ticket which
he may prepare and vote. The safe
and unerring way is to scratch out
everything you don't wish to vote
No voter is allowed to remain in a
booth longer than five minutes, and
shall hold no conversation with any
one in the election room except the
commissioners and poll clerks. Both
poll clerks are required to sign each
ballot on the back before giving said
ballot to any voter, and the commits
sioners will not receive any ticket
which has not the names of the poll
clerks on its back. Any person at
tempting to take from the election
room ticket, or any person having
in his possession any genuine or
counterfeit ticket on the outside of
the election room is guilty of felo-
ny. No more voters are admitted to
the election room at one time than
there are booths-in this case three.
ANY commissioner or poll clerk who
shall enter upon hiS duty without
first taking the oath prescribed by
the law is guilty of misdemeanor
and upon conviction may be fined
and imprisoned. Commissioners of
election may swear one another and
then the poll clerks also.
At sunrise, or as soon thereafter
as possible, the commissioners shall
proclaim from the door of the cleo
ton room in loud voice that the
polls are open and atsunset the CON-
missioners shall in a like manner
proclaim that the polls are closed,
and the poll clerks shall note such
proclamation, together with the ex-
act time made, on the poll books.
On Monday, May 23rd, the day of
our corporation election, the sun will
rise at 4:46 o'clock and set at T:l7,
which will be the legal hours for
opening and closing respectively.
Voters in preparing their ballots
must do all the scratching on the
ticket with pen and ink, with which
each booth Will be supplied. Each
voter will enter the election room
and get from the poll clerks ballot
and Immediately proceed to booth,
where he shall prepare his ballot, or
if he desires the assistance of poll
clerk they may prepare such ballot
at their desk, or they may accom-
pany the voter into a booth and there
assist him.-StateSman.