The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-24
WILL VOTE UNDER NEW RULES
ELECTION LAW WILL BE GIVEN ITS
FIRST TRIAL TODAY.

FIRST TRIAL lO-DAAs
Voters VIII Form in Line at the
Polls. the One Voting TO BE Alone
When He Casts His BalIOt-NO One
Allowed within Fifty Feet of the
Polls Except Voters, Police and
Election Managers and Clerks.
Managers Must Keep silent as to
Decentralization of Law Is
MisdemeanOr.
To-days election Is the first one under
the bill passed by the present legislature,
and there is naturally much interest
among citizensa to see how its provisions
will work 1t has been claimed by all of
the Chatham legislators that the new law
is more Of a guarantee for purity in city
elections than the law which at succeeds,
and under which the election was held in
twenty city precincts.
To-day the voting is done entirely at the
court house. there being two boxes for the
First, Third and Fourth districts, and one
for the Second or seven boxes in all.
There is a manager from each side at each
box. The polls open at O'Clock, city
time, and close at 6 o'clock. The man
ayers have exclusive charge Of all the de-
tails of the election and are not allowed,
when the count is taken, to permit OF the
presence Of more than two representatives,
of each contending faction. The ballots
for each district viii be counted in the
room where the ballot box is located, and
the result is TO be announced az once to
the public The clerk of Council re-
ceives The reports from the districts and
announces the consolidated vote.
Before the election the managers this
morning will go before the clerk of the
Superior Court and take an oath that they
VIII truly perform the duties of their Of
flee, Any manager who uses or attempts
TO use his official position for the pur-
pose of aiding a candidate for office, or
who in any way attempts TO secure a par
tisan advantage for any such candidate, or
who divulges the vote of any person, or
allows person to vote who is disqualified,
snail be guilty of a misdemeanor. When
the right of a person TO vote is chal-
.enged one of the managers shall swear
him, touching his right asking him the
questions asked Al the time of the regis
tration. If his answers do NOT satisfac-
torily identify him he is to be refused the
right to vote. AS soon as a vote is cast
the name of the voter is to be checked off
At the close of the election the ballots,
the lists and all papers used in the cleo
| the clerk of the Superior Court. Whoever
| is elected assumes office on next Monday.
Jan. 30.
The police force is under the direction
and control of the Mayor on election day
| 1t is specified that this is for the purpose
| of preserving order at and around the
court house. There shall be no interfer-
ence on the part of said force, or any
member thereof with any voter who In
good faith is attempting to deposit his
ballot, and who is not violating any pro-
| visions of the law. Any member of the
| police force interfering with a voter shall
| be held guilty of a mlsdemeanor and SO
| punished.
| No person, it is provided, shall be all
lowed within fifty feet of any ballot box,
| except persons passing along the highways
on their business persons who
are regular employees about the
| court house, and whose duties
may require them by reason Of the loca-
| lion of the ballot boxes in the several Of
fees to be closer than fifty feet persons
| having business in the offices of the court
house, the members of the police force
| who are charged with the enforcement of
| the law and order around the polls and
the electors approaching to vote
| The voters, the law says, shall form a
| single line in order in which they come
to the polls near the ballot box, where
they are TO vote no e.ector. however, to
| he nearer than ten feet to the ballot box,
| except the one in the act of voting. 1t is
| unlawful for any persons to speak to auv
manager or clerk of the election. or to
| any elector. either directly or indirectly.
about the election. Any violator is guilty
| of a misdemeanor
No person is allowed to speak to any
| other person about the election within
fifty feet of the polls. No manager or
election clerk is allowed to speak to a voter
about the election or i'm any way seek to
| influence his vote Viola lions of these nro-
visions also make the offenders punisha-
| bic for misdemeanor