The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-26
Mistake Made in the Fixing
of a Date for the
Special Election.
JUDGE LANNING's OPINION
Doubts That the Registry officers
Can Attend to Both Election
and Registry on the
Same Day.
Tspecial . ..The jersey city News."l


the special election to pass upon the con-
st;tutional amendments, is also the f1rst
day of registration for the fall election
in cities of over 10000 population THESE
cities are Newark. Jersey City, Paterson,
Camden, Trenton and Hoboken. The ques-
ton has been raised whether the election
officers will be able to perform the double
duty and whether it maysnot be neces-
sary to call special session of the Leg
islature to rectify the matter in some
way.
Former Judge William NJ Lanning has
prepared a chronological index of the
duties relating to the regular election on
November and the special election on
September Is on the part of County
Clerks, election officers and all other Off
cials concerned in the elections. The
document is similar to those issued last
year, except that it is adapted to the
changes in the election laws. 1t will be
printed by the Secretary of State and
copies forwarded to all election officers
and to any others desiring them The in
structions pertaining to the special cleo
ton on the constitutional amendments
are as follows
August 2S, lS97-On or before this date
the President of the Senate, the Speaker
of the House and the Secretary of State
should designate at least two newspapers
for each county in which notice of the
time and purpose of the special election
on the proposed constitutional amend
ments shall be published. The publica-
ton should be made in each of these
newspapers for four weeks, once in each
week. next preceding September 2S.
August 80 to September 20, 1S97-Between
these dates the township and municipal
clerks should post notices in at least five
of the most public places in each town
ship and municipality of the time, place
and purpose of the special election on
the constitutional amendments TO be
held on September 2S-
September 4. 1se7-On or before this date
the County Clerk and the Presiding Judge
of the Court of Common Pleas in each
county should designate not more than
six newspapers in which the County Clerk
shall publish a notice of the meeting of
the District Boards of Registry and Elee-
ton to be held on September q for the
purpose of making, altering and revising
the registries of voters for the election on
the constitutional amendments. The pub
lication should be made. as nearly as may
,be, equally in newspapers of different po-
litical parties, not more than twice II any
one week. The first publication should
be made at least two weeks prior to Sep
tcmber q.
September a. 1S9I-On or before this
date the Secretary of State is required
to have had printed official ballots, to be
used on September 2S. at the special cleo
ton on the constitutional amendments,
sand on or before the same date should
have transmitted to each County Clerk
a sufficient number of such ballots for
the use of the voters in the respective
counties, and also a supply of blank state
rnents of the result of the election, and
copies of the act authorizing such special
election.
September q, 1Ss7-on this day the dis
. trio Boards of Registry and Election
throughout the State are required to be
in session from to 9 O'Clock P. M, to
make, alter and revise the register OF
voters for the special election on consti-
tutional amendments to be held Septem-
Der 2S Where an election district has
been changed since the last local or mu-
nicipal election. it will be necessary for
the District Board of Registry and Elec-
ton on this day, to make a new registry
of voters for such special election. When,
flov ever, an election district has remain
ed unchanged since the last local or mu-
nicipaI election, no new registry need pc
or municipal election should be revised
and corrected. The Board must meet on
this day at the place where the special
Iection will be held, or at such other
place as shall be designated by the city.
township or municipal clerk In revIs,
ing and correcting the register the Board
may add thereto the names of all per-
sons entitled to vote at the SPECIAL elec-
tion who shall appear in person peIore
ana estaes 9 bs BoaId 70 he tha thsy
entitled to a vote at the special election.
or who shall be shown, by the, written
asyt sstss s5 so be s0ser Sc anad sssdaF to n Vote a
paoa's person registered sa by aliidavls. and the
afiiat afiiant a and be signed BY him: Each mem
her of the District Beard Is entitled to
three dollars for his days service;
On or before the same date the County
Clerk should transmit to the. district
boards OF registry and election suffi-
cient number of official ballots tor use at
the speciaI election on September rs, and
also blank statements of the result of the
September Is, lss7-on this date the
County Board of Elections is required to
be in session from eight O'clock A. M. to
five o'clock P. M. for the purpose of or
dering names Of legal voters improperly
Of voters for the special election on Sep
tember 2S to be added thereto. Each
member OF the County Board is entitled
to IS for this days service.
on the same day tSeptember 2S) a spec
ial election Will be held in each election
district Of the State to enable voters to
vote for or against the proposed consti-
tutional amendments. The district boards
Of Registry and Election are required to
conduct this election, The polls will open
at six o'clock A. NJ. and close at seven
o'clock r. NJ. No official envelopes are
required. but each voter must be fur
rished with one official ballot by mem
tion, must retire to a booth to prepare his
: ballot, ard must then deliver 1t folded to
4 member Of the board The procedure
at this election will be the same, as far as
practicable. as It is at the general cleo
fions. Official ballots only are to be used
Unofficial ballots will not be counted ex-
cept where official ballots have not beer
stroyed, stolen or exhausted Any voter
may obtain supply Of official ballots be-
fore election day from the Secretary OF
State by paying the cost or printing
them In canvassing the ballotF, each
ballot Is counted as a vote for each pro-
posad amendment not cancelled with ink
pr pencil, and against each proposed
District Board must set down In writing
the whole number Of votes given for each
proposed amendment, and the whole mum.
ber of votes given against each proposed
auendrrerst statement Of the result
81 fhe election must be made and certi-
hed and subscribed bV the members Of the
District Board and delivered 70 the coun-