The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-03-13
CLOSE ATTENTION NEEDED.
To the Workings of the New Primary
Election Law

AS the time approaches for the
holding of the primaries for electing
delegates to the county convention,
care should be taken to see that they
are conducted in accordance with the
law governing such primary elections,
which was passed by the last legisla-
ture and which will now for the first
time be observed in their conduct.
Unless this law is carefully observed
and conformed with in all respects,
the delegation to the county conven-
tion will not be legal one. The law
provides that when the hour arrives
for the holding of primary, the said
primary shall be called to order by the
chairman or secretary of the precinct
committee, or in their absence by
some other qualified voter of the party
holding the primary, and the quail
fed voters of that political party pres
ent shall proceed to choose from their
number chairman, clerk of election
and two judges of election. This may
be done by viva voce vote, but all
delegates must be elected by ballot
and upon said ballot the names of as
many delegates as the precinct is en-
titled to shall be written or printed,
or partly written or partly printed, but
if any ballot contains more than the
number of names for delegates which
the precinct is entitled to it is void.
Clerks of the various primaries should
be careful to keep full and complete
minutes of the proceedings of the pri-
mary, and also in connection with the
chairman of said primary furnish the
delegate elected with proper creden-
tials. Another very important duty
of the clerk at the primary election,is
to furnish the chairman of the COM
mittee calling the primary copy of
the proceedings of the primary to-
geti1er with list of the names and
places of residence of the electors vot-
ing at said primary.
The duties of the judges of election
at said primaries shall be to receive
the votes of all voters qualified TO vote |
at such primary, ana to keep a record
of the name and address of such voters.
The law provides that none but regu-
lar qualified voters shall be allowed to
take part in any primary election, and
it shall be I'm awful for any person not
affiliated at the last general election
with the political party holding the
primary election, or for any person
who has not resided for at least thirty
days in the election district where
the primary election is held, to vote
or take part in the primary election.
Provided, however, that in case any
voter makes oath that he did not vote
at the last election because he was
not of age or because he did not re-
side in the state, or because of sick
ness or other reasons satisfactory to
the judges, his vote shall nevertheless
be received if he makes oath that he
affiliates with the political party hold
ing the primary elections. No person
shall during any one calendar year
vote at the primary election of more
than one political party.
The law further provides that in
case any elector, duly elected a dele
gate to a political convention, fails for
any cause to serve, he shall not give
proxy to another elector, but the va
cancy caused by his failure to serve
shall be filled from the qualified cleo
tors of such election district by the
delegation in which the vacancy &C.
ours. In case any delegation fails to
serve, the convention to which such
delegation has been elected shall Sc
lect qualified electors, if such be pres
ent at such convention, residing in
the same election district from which
said delegation was chosen, TO act in
lieu thereof. In case no qualified
elector of the election distri repre-
sented by the delegation is present to
fill the vacancy caused by the failure
of one or more delegates to serve, then
the delegates present shall have
the right to cast the full vote of
the delegation.
These are few of the important
points of the new law which should I
be carefully looked after, and if they
are, and observed, no question can be
raised as TO the legality of any delega-
ton TO the county convention. If 1,
these matters are closely observed at
the approaching primaries, familiarity ;
Wi h the law will result, and there
will be little danger OF mistakes at
subsequent primaries, Of which there {
will be several this wear /.