The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-05-27
PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
The New Act With Which Every
Minnesota Populist Should
Make Himself Familiar.
SYNOPSIS OF THE LAW.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LAW.
The legislature Of this state, in 1895,
passed IAN act relating to primary cleo
| tions," which will be found In the session
laws of 1895, as chapter 276. page e6l
| thereof. This act is intended to govern
| the holding Of county conventions and
| caucuses In the several town and CITY
election precincts, in this state. by the
| several political parties thereof. where
| ever such parties have their county and
precinct organizations The rules deduced
calling and holding county, city and pre-
cinct conventions and caucuses. are brief
| ly these:
l. When 1t is desired to hold a primary
election in any county or city, the duly
| authorized committee Of the party shall
give at least two consecutive weeks no.
| tice thereof
| 2. Said notice must be published once
| in each week for two consecutive weeks,
| the first of such publications to be at least
| twenty days previous to the day hxed for
| the holding Of such election In any county
| or city. Such notice must be published In
a newspaper Of general circulation, printed
and published in the county in which such
primary election is to be held But in
case there is no such newspaper In the
county, then said committee must post
up said notice in at least three public
twenty days before the date at which the
said primary election is to be held.
3. Said notice must give the date when
| and the place where such primary cleo
ton will be held, the number Of delegates
each election district will be entitled to in
convention, the purpose for which the
election is called and offices for which
candidates will be nominated In conven-
| ton.
4. In each election district or pre-
cinct, the duly authorized committee Of
the party, at least six days before the
primary election in such district or pre-
| cinct is to be held, must cause proper no
| tees to be posted up In at least three pub
| lie places therein, giving the time and
| place of holding such primary election in
such district or precinct.
5. None but duly qualified voters shall
| be permitted to take part in such pri-
| mary election, and not even in that case
unless such voter affiliated. at the last gen.
eral election with the party and has re-
| sided for at least thirty days in such cleo
| ton district or precinct.
| 6. Such primary election must be held
between and o'clock p: m, at an hour
| to be fixed by the committee calling the
same, and must be held open for not less
| than one hour.
| Z. All primary elections of the party
for each county and city must be held
in the respective election district and pre-
same hour. Each primary meeting must
| be called to order, when the time fixed
therefor arrives, by the chairman or Sec
rotary Of the precinct committee or, in case
| of their absence. by some other qualified
voter of the party, and the qualified voters
| OF the party present must choose one of
| their number as chairman, one as clerk Of
the primary election and two as judges
| of such election, and such selections for
officers must be as nearly equal as possible
from the friends of the different candi-
| dates for offices to be filled at the county
or city convention. In case there are no
| duly chosen officers Of comittees in any
| election district or precinct, the duly or
| ganiZed committee Of the party Of the
| county or city in which such district or
precinct Is situated may select and ap-
| point such officers in the first instance 80
held In such election district or precincts
The officers OF primary election may be
chosen by viva voce vote.
8. All delegates to q political conven-
| ton must be elected by ballot. Each
qualified voter at primary must place on
| his ballot as many names for delegates
as such precinct is entitled to in conven-
ton, and II such ballot contains more than
such number will be wholly void. A ma
| jority of the votes cast is not required
| to elect. A plurality vote elects.
9. The chairman will preside over the
primary election He is also authorized
| W anu Will dOINlHlSt0T O6Cn0 OF once TO
| the judges and clerk Of the election, and
to any voter whose vote is challenged
| In case voter, whose vote is challenged
upon the ground that he does not belong
| to the party, makes oath that he has
changed his political aff1liation to this
party from another since the last preced-
| Ing general election, and the Judges find
| such statement to be true, his vote must
| be received.
10. The mayor in each incorporated
| city in which there are twenty or more
election precincts. Is required to provide
| one regular or special policeman, or more
| II necessary. at each primary election poll
ing place to preserve order during such
election.
II. The clerk Of the election must keep
minutes of the proceedings Of the pri-
mary election and administer the oath Of
| ONCE to the chairman, which he Is au-
| thorized to do.
| IL. The judges Of election must receive
the votes Of all voters duly qualified to
vote, and make a record Of the name and
| address of every voter at said primary be-
| fore he is allowed to vote. If vote is
challenged by any duly qualified voter
present the Judges will refuse to receive
such vote until the voter Offering such vote
| makes oath before the chairman that he Is
| a qualified voter: that he voted with this
party at the last election: that he intends
| to vote for and support the nominees Of
Tie OHVCulIOu, COHlpOSeQ OF the delegates
chosen at the primary election at which
said voter then offers his ballot so chal-
lenged, and that he resides in said prim-
airy election district or precinct, and at
the same time giving the number or To-
cation Of his place OF residence
IL. But in case any voter states under
oath that he did not vote at the last cleo
ton because he was not OF age. or because
| he did not reside in the state, or because
of sickness or other reason satisfactory to
the judges. his vote must be received. If he
makes oath that he affiliates with the
party holding such primary election, and
no person can. during one calendar year,
vote at the primary election Of more than
| one political party.
a.. The chairman. clerk and Judges of
| election respectively, before entering upon
| the duties Of their office, NUT take the
same oath Of office as that required by the
| general election law Of this state for the
officers of general election.
| Is. At the closing Of the polls the Judges
must count the votes cast and report the
same to the chairman, who shall announce
the result of the vote cast and declare the
candidate or candidates receiving a plu-
rality OF al the votes cast, elected as a
delegate
16. The chairman and clerk must fur