Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-05-31
THE STEVENS BILL.
Text of the Famous Act Over Which
the Legislature Fought
for Months
A BILL,-To abolish political eaucuses ant

as follows:
p. Section L. All statutes pertaining to po-
Hlcal caucuSes and conventions for the
nomination of all officers provided for In
this act are hereby repealed.
Section 2. Hereafter, all candidates to
pc voted for by the people, except those
for Judicial, village, township or school dis
! tflct oihces, or at special elections to fill
vacancies, shall be nominated either at
| primary election, held In accordance with
| this act, or by petition in accordance with
subdivision Q of section 80, OF the statutes
| of 1898.
Section 3. Primary elections shall be held
| at the regular polling place in each election
precinct in this state on the rrst Tuesday
! IN September, 1902, and biennially there
| after, for the purpose of nominating candl-
oates to be voted for at the next general
election, and shall likewise be held for
| the purpose OF nominating candidates to be
voted for at any other than general cleo
! ton, at least three weeks before the date
of holding such election.
Section 4: On or before sixty days prior
| TO the holding of any such primary election,
the secretary of state shall make out and
| transmit Il notice thereof in writing, to
each county, town, village and city clerk,
ana designate therein the offices for when
| candidates for nomination are TO be voted
| Tor ut such election. Upon receipt of such
| notice, each county clerk shall forthwith
| publish so much thereof as may be apple
| aDle TO MS county, In q newspaper OF gen
eral circulation published therein, in the In
| terests OF each political party, and each
| town, village and city clerk shall forthwith
| cause notice Of the holding Of such election
| to be posted in three public places in each
| election precinct in his town, village or
| city, as required by section d of the stat
| utes of 1898 Each county clerk on the
! first Monday of June, 1902, and biennially
| thereafter, shall transmit to the secretary
| of state the name and postoilice address OF
| each town, city and village clerk In his
| county. In the of city election the
! city clerk shall make one publication Of
| culation published In the interests Of each
! political party therein, and cause notice to
| be posted In three public places In each
election precinct therein, such publication
| and posting to be at least six weeks before
| any such primary election.
| Section 5. The name Of no candidate shall
| be printed upon an official ballot at any
| primary election unless at least forty days
| prior thereto there be filed in his behalf a
| nomination paper, stating his name, resi-
| denCe, with street and number If any, the
| Office FOR which he is candidate the party
! he proposes to represent and no other
| Such paper shall in all cases be signed by
at least two per cent. q per cent? of the
| voters of the party named and proposed to
| be represented therein, resident In the
| state, or the political subdivision thereof
| as the case may be- In which such person
| Is proposed as a candidate. In case OF can
| didAtes for state offices, the electors signing
| shall be distributed over and reside in at
least twelve Q2) counties of the state; In
| case of candidates for Congress the electors
| signing shall be distributed over and reside
| In at least one-ffth Q-5) of the election
precincts in at least one-half G0 of the
| case of candidates for the state Senate or
! the Assembly, the electors signing shall be
| fifth 90 of the election precincts In each
! such district and in case such district is
| not wholly within one county, the electors
| signing shall be distributed over and re-
| side in at least One-tifth 1-5) OF the election
| precincts of each county that portion
! thereof in such district; In case OF candi-
dates fof county ana city 2lGes' the elect d
| reside in at least One-tifth 90 of the cleo
| ton precincts of such county or city, and
! shall constitute at least . per cent. g per
| cent? of the voters of such party resident
! In each such county or voting precinct, as
| the case may be. The basis OF such per
! centage in each case shall be the vote of
| the party for the presidential elector re
ceiving the largest vote at the preceding
! presidential election. Provided that any
| political organization which, at the proceed
! Ing general election was represented on the
| official ballot by individual nominees only,
| may have a primary election ballot, as
| political party, If any of Its said individual
nominees received l per cent. Of the total
state. vote cast at such preceding general
! election.
| Sec g. Each signer to n nomination paper
shall add to his signature, his business and
| residence, with street and number IL any,
| declare in such nomination paper that he
! therein, and shall sign for but one nomina-
! ton to the same office. All signers on the
| same nomination paper shall reside In the
| same precinct. The affidavit of qualified
| slgncrs reside, shall be appended to each
nomination paper, stating that he Is person
! ally acquainted with all the persons who
/ have signed the same; that he knows them
! to he electors of the precinct, and that their
| residence and business are. truly stated
| therein. Such affidavit shall not be made
| by the candidate, but each candidate shall
| file with his nomination papers a declara-
ton that he is a member Of the party
| named therein, and will qualify as such
! officer If nominated and elected.
Sec. Z. All nomination papers pertaining to
state officers, members Of Congress, state
| Senate or Assembly, shall be filed In the
! Office Of the secretary of state; to county
| officers, in the Office of the county clerk;
to city officers, in the office of the city
! clerk.
Sec. g. At least FIVE weeks before any
! primary election preceding n general cleo
| ton, the secretary Of state shall transmit
| to each county clerk a list containing the
! name, pOStOllcc address and occupation Of
each person entitled to be voted for as n
candidate In his county, at the ensuing
primary election, together with a desgna-
ton of the Office and the party for which
| he is candidate Said clerk shall before
| the thirteth day preceding the election,
publish complete list of all candidates to
| be voted for In the county for whom nomi-
nation papers have been duly filed, giving
! the name, address and occupation OF each,
under the title Of the office. for which he is
a candidate. The list, Of candidates Of
each party shall be published IN one news,
| paper of general circulation, or the county,
representing such party, once each week
| contain the name Of the party In large type,
| the date Of the election, the hours during
! which the polls will be open, and that the
| election viii be held In the regular polling
! booths The county clerk shall forthwith
| mail a copy Of the notice to each town,
| village ana city clerk of his county, who
| shall Immediately upon receipts of such
notice. post copies OF the notice In at least
| three public places in each precinct of his
| town, village or city,
Sec. o. SO far as applicable and not 9TH
| herein provisions M
| the foregoing sections shall apply to all
| urinary elections held to nominate candi-
| dates for any city office, provided that
! nomination papers shall be filed at least
| fifteen 40 days; the, list OF candidates
and the official ballots printed at least
| three az DAYS before the date of holding
| such primary election.
| Sec 10 In any case where the publica-
| tion of a notice cannot be made as here
| Inbefore required, IL may be so made In any
| newspaper having n general circulation In
| fhe county or city I'm which the notice is
| required to be published.
| Sec. II. On or before the twenty-hfth
| dav before any primary election preceding
| a general election, each county clerk shall
| nreDare q sample official primary election
! ballot for each party, placing thereon the
| names Of all candidates to be voted for in an
| nrecinct of his county, for whom nominal
| lion paDers have been duly filed. He shall
| submit the ballot of each party to the
| TO each candidate whose name appears
| thereon. at his address given In the nonina-
/ +ion paper, and shall post In a conspicuous
| Mace In his Office a copy of such ballot for
| encb party. On the tenth day preceding
| soId urinary election, the county clerk shall
| correct any errors or omissions In the ballot
| to make II conform to the provisions of this
| act cause the same to be printed and dis