The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-10-20
DUTIES or ELECTION OFFICERS

AZ the time Tor o.eCtlOn 10 CiJo0 ~
hand, few woris % to who are legal
voters, and the right and duty Of cleo
ton officers in receiving and rejecting
votes, may not be out Of place.
Many are under the impression that .
person may vote for president or state Of
ficers, even though the voter may not 70
side In the precinct where he offers to
vote. In this they err; one ballot con-
tains the names Of al! candidates, and .
person who has the right to cast any bal
lot may vote the whole or any part, from
presidential elector to constable, but HE
MUST RESIDE IN THE PRECINCT
WHERE HE VOTES.
The rights and duties Of inspector and
judges OF election are often misunder-
stood. II is mistaken belief that those
officers have no discretion, but must re-
ceive the vote Of anv person offering Il he
will take the required oath. However
the law may DO in other states, In this
state it 10 plain, and the election board
are judges in fact, and ii 10 their duty to
refuse the ballot Of any person who ap-
pears by his own statement or other evi.
dence not to be qualified voter, even
though he may be willing to take the re-
qnired oath. We make few quotations
from the latest compiled Ballinssr's
Code.
Section l339-Oath OF inspector Of cleo
toni will not receive any ticket or
vote from any person other than such -
l shall firmly believe to be, according to
the provisions Of the laws Of this state,
entitled to vote at such election, without
requiring such evidence Of the right to
vote as is directed by law, nor will vex-
vote from any person whom shall be.
lieve to be entitled to vote % Aforesaid"
Sec. 1340-Oath Of judges-"That We
will not give our consent that any vote or
ticket shall be received from any person
other than such as we firmly believe to
be, according to the law OF this state. en-
titled to vote at such election"
Sec. l49O-Chsllenging votes--"A per-
son may be challenged by any legal vo-
ter, and it shall in all cases be the duty
of the inspector and each OF the judges
to challenge any person offering to vote
whom they stall know or suspect not to
be duly qualified as an elector."
Sec l39l-When person Is challenged
he Is first sworn to answer questions
concerning his qualifications az Q voter,
and then he is questioned by one OF the
Off ers as to his residence, etc.
Sec. 1391-'Ii any person shall refuse
to take the aforesaid oath when 30 ten
dered. or to answer any and all pertinent
questions AS to his qualifications, his
vote shall be rejected; and II the board
OF judges are satisfied, from answers ~
aforesaid, that such person 10 not legal
voter, they shall reject his vote"
| Sec. l303-"If such person shall insist
that he lie entitled to vote. and the board
of judges find no cause to reject his vote
under the preliminary examination, and
the challenge shall not be Withdrawn,
he shall not be entitled to vote unless he
takes the following OATH" (S~earing to
his qualifications as Q voter.) The SEC
Ond oath.
Sec. l3N-"Ii any person shall take
the oath as rendered to him by the In
spector or judges and no evidence 10 Of
fered to traverse the same by the officer
or party challenging, and shall otherwise
comply with the requirements OF law
regulating the bslloting, he shall be sd-
mitted to vote"
Section 73l7-Relsting TO crimes. pro-
vides: III any inspector or Judge Of
any such election shall knowingly per-
init any elector to cast . second vote at
any such election, or shall permit any
person not qualified elector to vote at
any such election, such inspector, etc.,
shall he punished, etc."
The plain sense Of these provisions 10
that the inspector and judges Of election
are not purely ministerial officers. but
have power 10 decide and refuse any ille-
| gal vote offered.
Residence --The constitution OF this
state provides:
Article @, sec. Ian male persons OF
the age Of q years or over, possessing
the following qualifications, shall be en-
titled to vote at all elections; they shall
he citizens Of the Unite States; they
shall have lived in the state one year and