Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-10-30
THE ELECTION LAW.
Points the People should Read Up On
How to Vote.

1851 (126). Of ballot-b -boXes.-T
commissioners of election in each
county shall procure, if not already
provided, sufficient number of ballot
boxes, which shall be distributed by
them to the election districts of the
county before the time for opening the
polls. Tho boxes shall be secured by
good and substantial locks, and. if an
adjournment shall take place after the
opening of the polls and before ali the
votes shall be counted, the box shall
be securely locked, so as to prevent
the admission of anything into it, or
the taking of anything from it, during
the time of adjOurnment; and the box
shall be kept by one OF the managers
and the key by another of the mana
gers, and the manager having the box
shall carefully keep it. and neither un-
lock or open it himself nor permit it
to be done, nor permit any person to
have any access to it during the time
of adjournment. The boz shall not be
removed from the polling building or
place after the polls are opened until
the count as complete, If as many as
three qualified electors object. After
each election the ballot boxes shall be
delivered, with the keys thereof, to the
clerk of the circuit court of the coun-
ty for preservation; and he shall keep
them for future use, and, when called
for, deliver them to the commissioners
of election.
3G40 030) Duty of election bailiff.-
1t shall be the duty of the bailiff to be
present at the voting place, and to
take such steps as will accomplish the
purpose of his appointment, and he
shall have full power to do SO, and he
may summon to his aid all persons
present at the voting place. A space
thirty feet in every direction from the
polls, or the room in which the cleo
ton is held, shall be kept open and
clear of all persons except the election
officers and taco chdllengers ofgoOd con-
duct and behdUior, selected by each par
ty to detect and challenge illegal Uoters;
and the electors shall approach the
polls from one direction, line, door, or
passage, and depart in another as near
ly opposite as convenient.
3643 133). Managers of election APP,
pointed.-Prior to every election the
commissioners of election shall appoint
three persons for each election district
to be managers of the election, who
shall not all be of the same political
party if suitable persons OF different
political parties cannot be had in the
district, and, if any person appointed
shall fail to attend and serve, the man
ayers present, if any, may designate
one to fill his place; and ii the com.
mi,sionerS Of election fail TO make the
appointments, or, in case Of the failure
of al those appointed to attend and
serve, any three qualified electors pres
cnt when the polls should be opened
may act as managers.
3G44 (13I. Duties and powers of man
agers.-The managers shall take care
that the election is conducted fairly
and agreeably TO law, and they shall be
judges of the qualifications of electors,
and may examine On oath, any person
duly registered and Offering to vote
touching his qualifications as an cleo
tor, which cath any of the managers
may administer.
3645 135) Clerks of eiection.-The
managers of election shall appoint two
clerks, and the managers and clerks
shall be sworn by some officer present
competent to administer oaths or each
may be sworn by one of the others,
faithfully to perform their duties at
the election according to law, and not
to attempt to guide, aid direct or in
fluence any voter in the exercise of his
right to vote, except as expressly al
lowed by law.
3G48 $780, How to conduct the cleo
ton and count the ballOts.-The polls
shall be opened at niue O'Clock in the
morning, and be kept open until SIX
O'Clock in the evening, and no longer:
and every person entitled to vote shall
deliver an official ballot, prepared in
accordance with law, to one of the
managers in the presence of the 9th
ers, which ballot shall be put into the
ballot box, and at the same time one
of the clerks shall take down on a list
the name of every person voting, and
the other shall make the proper entry
on the poll-book. And when the polls
shall be closed, the managers shall
public!y open the bOr and count the bal
lots, at the same time reading aloud
the names of the persons voted for,
which shall be taken down by the
clerks in the presence of the managers;
and if there be two or more ballots
rolled up together, neither shall be
counted.
3649. Certain ballots not to be count
ed.-If the voter mark more names
than there are persons to be elected
to an office, or if for any reason it be
impossible to determine from the bal
lot the voters choice for any office
voted for, his ballot so cast shall not
be counted. A ballot not provided in
accordance with law shall not be depos-
tied or counted. election ordinance,
section 15.)
3661. When there are no official bal
lots.-In case the official ballots pre-
pared shall be lost or destroyed, the
commissioner of election shall have
like ballots furnished in place of those
lost or destroyed, if time remain there
for. And if from any cause there
should be no official ballots at voting
place, and not sufficient time in which
to have them printed, the ballots may
be written; but, if written by any one
except the voter alone for himself, the
names of all candidates shall be writ
ten thereon, without any mark or do,
vice by which one name may be distin-
guished from another, and such ballots
Shall be marked by the voter as pro-
vided for printed ballots. If the man,
aper designated fail to have the ballots
at the voting place at the proper time,
or if he fail to distribute them, the
managers, or those of them present at
the election, shall provide ballots, and
select some suitable person to distrib-
ute them, who shall take the oath re-
auired of the managers, and distribute
the ballots according to law. ELECTION
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