Mower County transcript., 1896-02-26
dEW PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.
IN PORTANT SUGGESTIONS,

Laws of Minnesota for 1895 governing primary
elections, 1t is necessary that the county con-
vent1ons be called q sufficient length of time
before their date so that notice can be pub
iished in q newspaper in the county at least
twenty days before the date Of the primaries.
The notice must be published once q week for
| two consecutive weeks. The call made by the
county committee should designate the num-
Der Of delegates each election district is en-
Titled to in the convention and the purpose for
which the COW ention is to be held. At least
six days befors the primaries this call must be
posted In three public places in the precinct.
Under the provision Of the law this primary
election must be held at some time between
O'Clock and o'clock p. m. You will fix the
hour aud places for the primaries in your no
tice of the convention. All primaries In the
county must be held the same day and hour.
Primaries must be held open atleast one hour.
They are to be called TO order by the chair
man or secretary of the committee Of the dis
tr1ct or, in tAeir absence, by some qualified
voter of the party then 4 chairman, clerk Of
election, and two judges are to be chosen by
| the voters present; these officers are to be
chosen by viva voce vote. or the county ON
mittee may Sc. .ect such officers for the prima-
ries. All delegates to the convention must be
| elected by ballot. Each qualified elector at
such primary shall p.a &C. on his ballot, either
| written or printed, or partly written and
partly printed, as many names for delegates
| as the precinct is entitled to in the county
convention. If any ballot contains more
names than such precinct is entitled to dele
gates it is wholly void. The persons receiving
the highest number of votes shall be declared
elected. and a p. .urality shall elect.
1t is the duty of the chairman of the primary
to administer the oath of Office to the judges
and clerks and to any voter whose vote is
challenged. No person is authorized to vote
at caucus unless he affiliated at the last GEN
orol al with tha Rannh1ioon
unless he makes oath that he has changed his
political afiliation since the last election, and
the judges are to pass upon the truth Of such
statements and receive or reject his vote in &C.
cordance with their conclusions. No person
can vote unless he has resided in the precinct
for thirty days before the primary.
It is the duty Of the clerk to keep minutes of
the proceedings and administer the oath of
Office to the chairman.
1t is the duty OF the judges to receive the
votes of all voters qualified to vote at the pri-
mary, and to make report of the name and
address Of every voter before he is allowed to
vote; and In case 3 vote is challenged tho
Judges shall refuse to receive the vote until
| the voter makes oath that he is q qualified
voter within the definition above given, and
also that he resides in the election district
where the primary election is being held.
with the location of his place of residence. If
any voter did not vote at the ,ast election be-
cause he was not OF age or did not reside in
| the state. or because of sickness or other rea-
| son satisfactory to the judges, his vote shall
nevertheless be received If he makes oath that
| he aff1liates with the Republican party.
The form OF oath to be administered to tho off,
GERS Of the primary Is the same the oath that
is administered to the officers at a general elec-
ton. At the time of closing the polls it 10 the
duty of the judges to count the votes and report
| the same to the chairman who shall announce tho
snlI IAn thn
receiving plurality Of the votes duly elected.
| 1t is the duty Of the chairman and clerk to fur.
nish the delegates elected proper credentials GER
tifying their election, and also to furnish the
! chairman of the county committee 4 list OF the
names and places Of residence of the electors vot.
ing at said primary election.
In any county containing population of not
more tnan 1000 persons the county committee
! may treat the entire county one election dis
trict and hold but one primary election for the
| entire county.
The law also provides that it any person chosen
as a delegate fails to serve that he shall not give
proxy, but the vacancy caused by his failure to
serve shall be filled by the delegation by tho eec-
| ton Of some qualified voter who resides in their
election district. II the whole delegation fails to
serve, the county convention may select qualified
electors, il such be present at the convention, re-
siding in the said election district in lieu OF
| the delegates so chosen. In case no qualified
eector OF tho election district, represented by the
delegation, 10 present at the convention. to fill
the vacancy caused by the failure Of one or more
delegates to servo, then the delegates present
shall have the right to cast the full vote Of the
delegation.
violation Of any provision of this law is made
. misdemeanor and punishable by fne of not less
| than Sas nor more than $500. or imprisonment OF
| not less than thirty days nor moro than sir
| months. TAMS RIXBY,
| Chairman Republican State Committee.