The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-09-02

obedience to their lawful com.
mands during an election and dur.
ing the canvass of the votes after
the closing of the poll, and shall
have full authority to preserve
peace and good order at aud around
the polling place and to keep &C.
cess thereto open and unobstruct.
ed, and may require any police of.
ticers, constal,les or other persons
present to communicate their or
ders and directions, and to assist
in the performance of the duties
in this section enj0iued.
Sec. Is. BE- it further enacted,
etc, That the Commissioners Of
Election shall preserve order and
decOrum at elections and shall
have power to commit to prison
any disorderly person for u time
not to extend beyond the hour of
closing the polls; provided that
said person shall I've permitted to
vote before being committed to-
prison.
Sec. II. Be it further enacted,
ETC., That the canvass and
count of the ballots, as provided
in this act, shall bc begun imme.
diately upon the closing of the
polls, and shall be proceeded with,
without interruption and delay,
until completed, during an. the
coaut, thrse tally sheets shall be
Kept thereof, the said tallygsheets
shall have the tHllies marked in
dasSs from the beginning to the
end Of the page, and the total
number of tallies shall be written.
III figures Immediately aftbr the
end Of the tally. and in letters so
as to prevent any alterationSthere.
of. Any commissioner or other
person who shall interfere with,
delay or attempt to delay the
count Of the ballots shall be guilty
OF \ felony, and punished as pro.
vided for in Section "A Of this act,
and any person who shall steal,
attempt to steal, or aid or abet in
stealing the ballot box, ballots,
tally sheets, poll lists or other al,.
paratus or papers OF the election,
shall he deemed guilty Of a felony
and punished as provided in Sec.
ton Al of this act.
Sec. Is. Be it further enacted,
etc, That prior to the public dec.
laration of the vote of an election,
which shall be made at each pre-.
cinct as soon rs the count has been
completed, no statement shall be
made by any commissioner, of the
number IF the ballots cast, the
number Of voters present, the
number of votes given for any per.
son or for any officer, the name Of
any person who has voted, the
name Ut any person which has
been voted on, or of any other fact
tending to show the state Of the
polls. ANY commissioner who vi.
olates any Of the provisions of this
act shall he punished as provided
for in Section A of this Act, but
no such violation shall in any way
invalidate any returns of the votes
cast, duly made by the commits
sioners, OF effect the title of any
person who is duly declared to be
elected to any Office.
Any election commissioner who
Intentionally makes, or attempts
to make, a false canvass of the
ballots cast or any false return of
the result Of any election or any
person who induces, or attempts
to induce, any such commissioner
so to do, shall be deemed guilty of
a felony, and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished as pro.
vided in Section A Of this Act,
and shall be further disqualified
from voting at any electiolf or
holding any Office of honof, trust
or profit 10 this State.
Sec. 10. Be it further enacted,
ETC., That every commissioner of
election, or other officer or persons
having the custody Of any record,
register of votes. or copy thereof,
oath, return of votes, certificates,
poll list, or any paper, document
or evidence Of any description III
this act aud directed to be made.
filed or preserved, who is guilty of
stealing, wilfully destroying, mutt.
lating, defacing, classifying or
fraudulently removing or secreting
the whole or any part thereof, or
who shall fraudulently mako any
entry, erasure or alteration there.
in, except as allowed and directed
by the provisions of this act, or
who permits any person to do so,
shall be guilty Of a felony, and
upon conviction thereof, he pun.
ished in accordance with Section
IA of this act. And every person,
not an officer, who is guilty Of any
of the aforesaid acts, or who ad.
vises, procures or abets the com.
mission of the same, or any of
them, shall, upon conviction there