The record-union., 1896-10-28

the election law, and these Oaths must
be returned to the County Clerk at the
cdbse of the election. The Poll List
Clerks must keep a list of assisted vot-
ers and return such lists as the poll lists
are returned.
SPOILED BALLOTS.
II voter spoils a ballot he may re-
eeive another, and others to the number
OF three in all. But he must return the
spoiled ballot.
The spoiled ballots must be cancelled
and returned to the County Clerk as
the law directs.
All unused ballots must be DE
FACED" by the Ballot Clerks drawing
two lines in ink crossing each other"
over the face of each unused ballot The
unused ballots must then be sealed up
in an envelope, and it must be indorsed
by the election officers, and all this
must be done before" the counting Of
ballots is entered upon.
The above wise requirement is fire.
quently violated. ignored and treated
with contempt. Yet it is most nee
essary safeguard.
COUNTING THE VOTES.
The canvass Of the votes must be
made in the presence Of the public. 1t
is illegal to lock the doors and exclude
the public. The space free to the pub
lie should be left open so that bystand-
ers may come and go in it. Yet over
and again we have seen polling places
locked up, on the ground that the room
was full" Such proceeding is illegal
and wrong.
There can be no lawful adjournment
or recess in the counting
In canvassing the ballots are first
counted to ascertain their total. This
should correspond with the total num-
Der of names on the poll list, and with
the number of voted ballots issued by
the Ballot Clerks. If there is a dis
crepancy the law provides how it shall
be adjusted. (Section 1850
The Inspector or a Judge acting as
Inspector, having counted the whole
number of ballots without opening
them, and ascertained correspondence,
or discrepancy returns the ballots to
the box.
But first there must be written at
the foot of each poll list the fact of
the agreement or discrepancy and its
adjustment, Signed by the Judges and
attested by the clerks. Very often
this has not been done until after the
canvass, obviously a grave error.
THE COUNT BEGINS.
Now the count begine. The ballots
are taken out one at time and opened
by one Of the board. One of the board
then takes the ballot in hand and reads
cff from top to bottom slowly, clearly,
distinctly, the name Of each person
lxyr cd fnu Wi ha of 20
which the person is a candidate-this
latter is often omitted, but it is dan
gerous proceeding if there are names
Of similar sound on the ballot.
AS the reading proceeds each tally
clerk marks one tally opposite the name
of the candidate, and no more than five
marks must appear in one group of
tallies. The caller or reader should
wait until each of the clerks has an
swered that the tally has been made
before another name is called off. This
answer usually is by naming the can
d3date and the number Of tallies re-
ceived to that instant.
As the ballots are completed one of
the Judges must thread them upon a
stout string, and after being once
threaded no person must be permitted
10 t\dlIllIlc lUelll w Z nave seen ln1S
important provision violated. If per-
nlitted, such violation opens the door
for fraudulent practices; the threaded
bundle should thereafter be carefully
watched and guarded from touch by
anyone except the person doing the
threading.
Canvass of the ballots cannot be gone
on with less than half Of the whole
| 8 Al, 1lo
CLOSING THE CANVASS.
When all the votes are counted the
strung bundles Of ballots must be
sealed up in a strong envelope
When the ballots are all counted and
sealed up the clerks must write at the
bottom of the tally sheets, or attach to
them, lists of the names of persons
voted for and for what office, and the
votes received by each, the number
being written out'' in words fully,
and not given in figures. These lists
must be signed by the Election Board
and attested by the clerks.
We have known the above require
ment violated often, and no lists sent
in other than the total filling out at the
ends Of tally sheet lines. The law
should be strictly followed. The inten-
ton is to estop any possible change of
the tallies by having separate lists Of
results written out and no figures used
One tally list is to be sealed up with
the ballots and official register, and
other matters required to be sealed and
returned to the County Clerk But the
other tally list and list Of written re-
suits attached, must be kept open by
the Inspector for six months for exam
iration by whomever wishes.
One Of the board is chosen by lot to
return the sealed packages to the
County Clerk. But some other means
Of selecting the messenger may be
adopted by consent.
The messenger must at once take the
packages to the County Clerk or to the
ne Arrest Postmaster, or to a sworn ex-
press agent, who shall indorse on the
package the name of the party deliv-
ering and the date of delivery, and such
Postmaster or express agent must for
ward the package to the County Clerk
by first mail or express
MISCELLANEOUS THINGS.
A name written on a ballot is to be
considered as the preference of the
voter whether it is stamped with a cross
or not, and shall be counted
No officer of election and no other per-
son must electioneer within 100 feet Of
| the polls
No one must be permitted to show his
| ballot after it is stamped, or so as to
reveal its contents or the names for
which he has voted.
No one must ask another at the poll
| ie-place to show his ballot or for whom
i he intends to vote No one must cnaalx