The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-07-26
CHAPTER So5

Sec. 2. This act shall take effect upon its pa,.
kage.
CHAPTER so5
AN ACT Creating a State Returning Board and
Defining Its Duties.
! Passed March o. lsOl.)
| IL IL enacted by the General Assembly AS follows.
Section j. There shall be a state returning board
consisting Of five members At the January ses.
sion OF the general assembly, A. d. 1901 the gov.
ernor. with the advice and consent of the senate
shall appoint one member Of said board to hold
office until the first day Of February A. d. 1902
one member TO hold Office until the first day of
February; A. d. 1908, one member 10 hold Office
until the first day Of February, A. ID. 1904; one
member 70 hold Office until the first day OF Feb
ruary, A. ID. 1905; and one member 10 hold Office
until the first day Of February A. d. 1906
Thereafter at the January session Of the general
assembly in each year the governor shall SO an.
point one member Of said board, 10 hold once
until the first day Of February in the fifth year
after his appointment, 10 succeed the member OF
said board whose term will next expire ANY va.
cancy which may occur in said board when the
senate is not In session shall be filled by the gov.
ernor until the next session thereof when he
shall with the advice and consent Of the senate
appoint some person to fll such vacancy for the
remainder Of the term The members OF said
board shall not all be Of the same political party
Said board shall elect one Of its members "a
chairman 20 preside at its meetings and in his
absence shall elect some member as chairman
pro TEN.
Sec. 2. The ballots cast for electors Of president
and vccpresident of the United States reprcsanta.
tives in congress and general officers and for and
against any proposed amendment Of the constitu-
tion Of the state, any question submitted to
the electors OF the state. shall be counted and
tabulated by said board.
Sec. 3. Said board shall commence the counting
and tabulating Of such ballots within twenty-four
hours after their reception the reception Of any
Of them, and shall continue and complete the
Same with all reasonable expedition When the
result thereof has been ascertained, said board
shall declare the same by publishing in st least
one newspaper in each Of the cities OF Providence
Pawtucket, Newport, Woonsocket. and Central
Fails and in each % the towns Of Bristol East
Greenwich, Warwick, Westerly South Kingstown
and Burrillville, or in each Of said cities and
towns in which a newspaper is published, a state.
ment Of the number Of ballots cast for each can.
didate; the names Of the persons elected; the
number Of votes cast for and against anv such
proposed amendment question; whether such
proposed amendment has or has not been adopted
or such question has has not been assented TO
by the electors Of the state; and, If such be the
case, the office Offices for which no person re-
ceived a plurality Of the votes cast therefor
Sec T. Said board shall forthwith after such re.
suit has been ascertained, furnish TO each candi.
date elected a certificate Of his election, and shall
deliver 20 the secretary Of state who shall keep
the same file in his Office, a statement OF the
number of ballot. cast in each voting district.
ward, town. and city for each candidate; the
total number cast in the state for each Of the
candidates for electors and for general officers the
total number cast in each congressional district
for each candidate for representative in Congress;
the number OF votes cast in each voting district,
ward town. and city for and agaus; any propos-
ed amendment of the constitution. or question
submitted 20 the electors Of the state; the total
number Of votes cast in the state Tor and against
any such proposed amendment question. the
names Of the respective candidates elected and
the offices TO which they have been respectively
elected; whether or not any such proposed amend
ment has been adopted and whether or not any
sch question has been assented to by the electors
of the state Such certificates and statement shall
he signed by said board and shall he final and
conclusive evidence Of the matters in them con-
tained and OF the title OF the persons declared
elected 90 the offices for which they have seNera!iy
received certificates Of election.
Sec 8 The sessions OF said board for the count.
ing and tabulating provided for in section shall
he public but no notice or advertisement thereof
need be given. Such counting and tsbulsting
shall hc done within a rallied space in the room
In which such counting and tabulating takes
place and said board shall admit within such
rallied space tn. candidate or at least one repre-
sentative Of the candidate for whom ballots are at
the time being counted. who may scrutinize the
count in accor, 1nce with the rules which may be
adopted by "a board. When the counting and
tabulating Of the votes Tor and against any pro
posed amendment Of the constitution or Tor and
against any question submitted 10 the electors ot
the state is taking place. said board shall admit
within such rallied space az least two repubhcans
and two democrats. with like privileges as pro
yided herein for candidates and their representa-
tves Such Representatives shall be authorized in
writing hy the candidates whom they scverally
represent aud each % such republicans and demo
Gratis shall be authorized in writing by the chair
man Of the state central committee Of the polit-
cal party Co which he belongs The provisions
of this section shall not be construed 20 prevent
said beard from admitting. in their discretion.
other persons within said rallied space during such
counting aud tabulating
Sec. q Al the sessions Of said board Cor count
ing and tahulating provided Tor by this act only
the package containing the ballots trum one Vot-
ina district Ger one class o. officers questions
shall b. unseaed az one time, and the counting
and tahulating thereof shall be completed and
such unssaled ballots shall BE- removed from the
room before the counting and tabulating of those
from another voting district Is commenced: Pro-
vidcd. that nothing In this scction shall be con
strued 20 prohibit the unscaling. counting. and
tahulating Of the contents of any package, re
turned 20 said board. which contains the ballots
given IN for officers. propositions. and questions
or Cor any two ~ them. In case II becomes neccs
sary ior said board 90 take q recess adjourn
rnent during the counting and tabuatng Of the
ballots from any voting district. such ballots shall
be plsccd in q package and sealed hy afSing 20
such package adhesive labels sufficient In number
20 prevent the abstraction Of any ballots from o,
the adding q any bsllcts 20 the contents Of such
rsckscr. and At least two members of slid board
shall anx their signatures In ink 90 each of said
labels n both a the said memhcrs sre q the
same political party. said board shall also allow
some person of another political party 60 sfhx his
signature In ink 10 each of said labels
Sc = TIE sheriff a Providence county shsll ss
sign 81 many a his dsputies said board may
rcqucst % attend upon ssid tosrd during its sss
sions. O. preserve order thereat. The orders q
the presiding cfcer q said board at such meet.
ings shall bs obeyed hy aid 6sputies and they
shsll remove from the room where any such ses-
SION s being hsld any person. not a nnsmher a
mid hoard. dcsisrsted by him. Any psr~cn ~ho
shall disturb o. interfere with the proceedings q
sus s'eh sessien .bsl Be deemed guilty 81 . mis-