Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-04
The LEGISLATURE.
D u. Z III y,
General Caucus Law Presented
in House, Yesterday.
z. . ill., n.
Committee Makes Divide1 Report in
Lewiston Election Contests.
Several Committee Hearings Took
Place in Afternoon.
YcvEerY@

most important new business present.
ed in the lower body was the bill re-
lating to caucuSeS and meetings of
political parties. Mills of Stonington
introduced the measure, and it contains
so many new ideas in the mana cement
and the holding of party caucuses that
1t is here presented in full, as follows:
Section l. Caucuses and meetings
OF political parties held for the pur-
pose of nominating candidates or
choosing delegates to assemble in con-
vention to nominate any person to any
public office, whose name shall be
placed on the official ballot unless held
under the provisions of this act, are
hereby declared to be unlawful and no
political party shall have it's political
ticket placed no the official ballot or
canvassed at election unless the nomi-
nation of it's candidates are made in
accordance with the provisions of this
act.
section z. All caucuSeS of any pO-
litical party, except for special cleo
tons, for the choice of delegates to
political conventions which nominate
candidates to be voted for at the BIZ
ennial State elections or for the nomi-
iieitlOu u TO De voted IOf at
such election shall be held throughout
the State on a day designated by the
State committee of the political party
whose caucuses are to be held, and all
of said delegates shall be elected, and
all of said candidates shall be nomi-
mated, at one caucus. Such caucuses
shall be held at the call of the State
committee of the political party whose
caucuseS are to be held and the secre-
tary of the State committee of each
political party shall, at least twenty
one days before the date on which the
caucuses are to be held forward a copy
of the call with the designation of the
date to the chairman and secretary
of each city and town committee of
his party.
Section 8. No two political parties
shall hold such caucuses on the same
day. The party first filing with the
| secretary of State a copy of the call,
as above provided, shall be entitled
to precedence.
Section 4. Caucuses relating to
| special elections shall be called at such
time and place and shall be subject
to such reasonable notice as the po-
itical committee whose duty it is to
provide for holding the same may de-
termine.
Section 5. No person shall vote or
offer to vote more than once for any
candidate or delegate or set of dele
gates in any one caucus, nor shall he
vote or offer to vote in any one eau
Gus held in any caucus district in
which he shall not at the time be
| resident and qualified voter. No per-
son shall vote or offer to vote in any
caucus where candidates or delegates
are to be chosen if he has already vot-
ed at the caucus of any other political
party in the past twelve months.
Section Z. No person whose right
20 vote is challenged for any cause
| recognized by law shall be allowed to
vote until he shall have taken the fol-
owing oath which shall be administer
ed by the chairman of the caucus:
"You do solemnly swear that you
are registered voter in this ward Cor
town. and have the legal right to vote
| in this caucus; that you are a member
of the political party holding the same
and intend to vote for it's candidates
at the polls at the election, next en-
suing. and that you have not taken
| other political party in the twelve.
| months last past
1.-The secretary or clerk of the eau
Gus shall make a record of the ad-
ministration of said oath to every per-
son who takes the same, which record
shall state whether or not said per-
son voted, said record shall be returned
with the proceedings of said caucus
and shall be prima facie evidence in
any court that said person took said
oath and voted in said caucus.
Section 8. The assessors of every
town or city in the State shall ascer-
tain the party to which every voter be-
longs, or with which he intends to act,
and shall in all lists transmitted to the
board of registration, as now required
| by law, designate such party against
each mans on the list. The board of
registration upon receipt of said list,
shall send written or printed notice
| to each voter stating to which party
| he has been assigned and that he will
not be allowed to take part in the eau
cuses OF any other political party I'M
| less he requests in person or by writ
| ing some other party designation at
| least five days before said caucus is
held.
| Section 9. The board of registration
in every city or town, at the request
| of the committee of any political party,
shall furnish certified parties of the
| correct list Of voters who have been
designated as belonging to said party.
The expense of furnishing said copies
shall be paid as other expenses of said
board are paid. Said list shall be used,
! in all party caucuses, and no person
shall be allowed to vote in the caucus
of any political party unless his name
appears on the voting list of said eau
| Gus.
Section 10. Notices of caucuses
signed by the chairman shall be issued
| by each city or town committee not
less than seven days prior to the day
on which said caucus is to be held. The
notices shall state the place where and
| the day and hour when the caucus is to
| be held. They shall be conspicuously
posted in at least five places in the
ward or town, and shall be published in
| one or more local newspapers, if there