Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-11-01
West Virginia Election Law.

der the modified Australian ballot sys-
TEN, passed by the last Legislature oi
the State. Underthe laws of the State
a man must be resident of the State
twelve months before he can vote.
There is no registration, the names oi
qualified voters being returned by the
county and city assessors. The failure
to appear on the assessors list does not
disqualify a man from voting, but 1t
places on him the duty of proving his
eligibility to vote The late law al
lowed a voter to vote anywhere in the
limits of the district in which he resid-
ed. The new law requires him to vote
in the precinct of the district in which
he resides. The following instructions
for the guidance Of voters have been
issued
The voter can procure ballots OF the
poll clerks only
On entering the electon-room the
voter will give his name and residence
to one of the poll clerks, who will give
him one ballot. On receipt Of the bal
lot the voter shall forthwith and with
out leaving the enclosed space retire
alone to one of the booths or compart-
ments, and shall there prepare his bal
lot.
In the preparation Of his ballot the
voter shall decide, first, which ticket
whether the Republican, Democratic,
or other he will vote, and he will then
deface all the other tickets on the bal
| lot-sheet by drawing one or more lines
with pen and ink, from the top to the
bottom thereof or across the heading
thereof. He shall then fold the same
so that the face thereof shall not be
exposed and so that the names of the
poll clerks thereon shall be seen unless
he elect to vote openly.
4 voter desiring to erase the name
of any candidate from the ticket he
intends to vote, or to vote for any other
candidate or person in his stead, may
strike the name printed from his ticket
and write in the blank space immedi-
ately below the name stricken off the
name of the person for whom he de-
sires to vote.
If the voter spoil Of deface or mu-
tilate the ballot delivered him, he may
return it to the poll clerks and receive
another in place thereof. He must not
destroy it.
He must vote the ballot he receives,
or return it to the poll clerks.
A voter cannot remain in the booth
or compartment longer than five (5)
minutes.
If a voter, for lack of education or
by reason of his physical disability, Is
unable to prepare his ballot, and for
that reason requires the assistance Of
the ballot clerks, both Of them must 90
with him to the voting booth, and one
of them in the presence Of the other,
and out of sight and hearing Of all
others, must prepare his ballot for him
as he (the voter directs it to be done
And if fhe voter requests it to be done,
the ballot must be read over to him as
so prepared afterit is done, or the voter
NAV require the poll clerks to show him
the relative position of the names Of
the candidates on the ballot and then
retire to the voting booth and prepare
his ballot.
No voter shall hold conversation or
communication with any other person
than the poll clerks or commissioners
of election while in the election-room.
When the voter has prepared his
ballot he shall vote forthwith and be-
fore leaving the polling place. He
shall give his name and present his
ballot to one Of the commissioners Of
election. When he has voted be shall
retire Immediately from the election
room and beyond the sixty feet limit
thereof.
Section 80, chapter 3, Of the Code
of West Virginia, concerning elections
by the people, provides that "if at any
time during the election any qualified
voter shall make affidavit before a com
missioner Of election that any person
who has voted Is an illegal voter in
such precinct, the person accused shall
at once be arrested BY any constable
or other person designated by the elec,
ton commissioners to make the arrest
and by him delivered to the civil au,
thorities. Any person desiring t.
E make such affidavit shall be admitted
TO the election-room for that purpose