Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-03-08

sad judge and the meribers of sal
boart, but no other persons. And sal,
Judge shall thereupon enter of recory
upon minutes of the Electoral Board
an affidavit, stating that said ballot
were counted and sealed in his
presence in the manner prescribed
by law. AT this meeting the member
of the board who shall have secured
from the printer the ballots as required
by the preceding section, shall deliver
said ballots to said board. The ballots
shall then he cIrefally counted by the
said board, and entered by the secre-
tary Of the board in a book provided by
him and kept for such purpose The
board shall affix its seal to every ballot
printed as above provided, upon the
side reverse rom that upon which the
names of the candidates appear. Oi
the said ballots they shall make as
many packages as there are voting
precincts in said county or city, one
for each precinct, which package shall
contain Twice as many official ballots as
there are voters registered at the pre-
cinct for which it is intended. Each OF
these packages shall be securely sealed
so that the ballots shall be invisible,
and so that they could be readily open
ed without detection. Upon each OF
said packages shall be endorsed the
name Of the precinct for which it is in
tended, and the number of ballots
therein contained. The remainder OF
the ballots shall then be securely wrap
ped and sealed, and kept securely by
the said board The said packages de-
signed Tor the various precincts shall
remain in tie exclusive possession of
the secretary Of the board until deliv-
cred by him to the judges or judge of
election Of the precinct as hereinafter
provide.
S. Before every election the secretary
of the Electoral Board shall deliver to
the judges or judge Of election the
package of official ballots for that pre-
cinct, taking a receipt therefor and Il
certificate that the seals appear 10 be
untampered with. Said sealed pacll-
age at the opening of the poll shall be
opened in the presence of the clerks OF
election and other judges present, and
the ballots in said package shall then
be carefully counted. al ballots re-
naming unused at the close of the polls
shall be carefully destroyed before the
box is opened. Any person willdlly
and corruptly failing to perfolm N the
duties required of him, or Intentionally
violating any Of the provisions of this
section, or opening any sealed package
Of official ballots, except as specially
provided for herein, shall be deemed
guilty Of misdemeanor and be punish
ed with fine Of 5000 and imprisonment
one month in jail.
8. 1t shall be the duty Of the Elector
al Board of the several counties and
cities TO provide at each of the voting
places in their respective counties and
cities Il small compartment or booth,
large enough to contain and conceal
from general observation voter, and
n desk or other convenience for writing.
In said booth there shall be placed pen
and lux. Said compartment or booth
shall be so erected that a person stand
ing at said desk in said booth or COM
partment shall lie wholly excluded
from the observation of the clerks,
Judges of elections, and other persons.
The said board, in its discretion, may
have one or more Of said booths at said
voting places.
Except as hereinafter provided for,
save the judges of election and clerks
allowed by law, no person other than
the elector offering to vote, shall be
within forty feet Of the ballot-boX. The
judges of election shall promptly decide
any disput5 as to the precedence Of
electors to the right to vote, deciding
who first offered or, if two or more Of
fered at the some time, selecting the
one to whom precedence shall be
given; but in case of q challenge,
the challengers and challenged and
the witnesses may appear before the
Judges; when such challenge is decided
only the elector having the right TO vote
shall remain within the prescribed
limits.
Every elector qualified to vote at
precinct shall, when he so demands, be
furnished with an official ballot by one
of the judges of election selected for
that duty by majority of the judges
present. The said elector shall then
take the said official ballot and retire to
said voting booth. He shall then
draw line with a pen or pencil
through the names Of the candidates he
does not wish to vote for, leaving the
name or names Of the candidate or can
didates he does wish to vote for un-
scratched. No name shall be con-
sidcred scratched unless the pen
or pcncil-mark shall extend through
three fourths of the length of
said name and no ballot save an Off
cial ballot above provided for shall be
counted for any person. When, as to
any office, more than one name re-
mains unscratched, the ballot for that
particular office shall be void but the
ballot, as to any other office or which
only one name remains urscratched,
shall be valid. He shall fold said bal.
lot with the names of the candidates on
the inside and hand the same to the
Judge of election, who shall place the
same in the ballot-box without any in
spection, further than to assure himself
that said ballot is genuine ballot, for
which purpose he may, without look
ing at the printed inside of said ballot,
inspect the official seal upon the back
thereof; provided it shall be lawful for
any voter to erase any or all names
printed upon said official ballot and sub
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