The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-11-03
The Election Law
and the Present Emergency

and the Present Emergency.
The death of Hon. Chas. NJ. Coston,
one of the two democratic nominees
for the Legislature, necessitates i'm
mediate action on the part of the
democratic county executive commit
tee or a socialist will be elected as
one of the representatives from this
county.
The election law provides that
every ballot must contain, under
each Office to be voted for at the cleo
ton. blank lines in number equal to
the number of persons who may be
elected to that Office" and any cleo
tor desiring to vote for any person
other than one whose name is print
ed on the ballot, may do so by fill
ing in the name of the candidate of
his choice in the blank space provided
therefor and marking the cross
mark K in the appropriate margin"
Therefore II the democrats are
to elect candidate they must center
on some person whose name they can
write on the ballots next Tuesday. It
is now too late to have another name
printed on the ballot, the law prOvid-
lng that to do this such name must
be filed with the county commission
ers not less than 20 days before cleo
ton. Those parts OF the law which
apply to the present case are as fol
lows:
Sec. 80. The board of county
commissioners tor in case of NUM-
cipal election the city or town coUn-
ciD of each county shall cause to be
printed on the ballots 10 be used in
their respective counties the names
of all candidates who have been put
in nomination by any caucus, cOnven-
ton, mass meeting. primary election
or other assembly of any political
party or faction in this State and GER
titled and filed with them not more
than sixty nor less than twenty days
previous to the day of election, which
certificates shall contain the name of
each person nominated and the Office
for which he is nominated, and shall
be signed by the presiding officer and
secretary of such caucus, convention,
mass meeting, or other assembly, or
by the canvassing board of such
primary election, and be duly &C
knowledged by one or more of them
before any officer authorized by law
to take acknowledgements. The board
of county commissioners Tor in case
OF n municipal election, the city or
town counciD shall also cause to be
printed upon said ballots the name
of any qualified elector who has been
requested to be candidate for any
Office by written petition signed, in
case Of a candidate for a State or
Federal Office, by at least five hun
dred electors. in case of county or
municipal office. by at least twenty
five electors qualified to vote in the
election to fill said Office. when such
petition has been fled with them not
more than sixty days nor less than
twenty days previous to the election.
And in addition to the name printed
upon said ballot. and whether there
be any names printed on said ballots
or no. there shall be printed under
each office to be voted for at the
election, blank lines in number equal
to the number of persons who may
be elected to fill that office. The
name of no person shall be printed
upon the ballot who shall, not less
than twenty days before the election.
notify the board Of county commits
sioners. in writing. acknowledged
before an officer authorized by law to
take Acknowledgements. that he will
not accept the nomination specified
In the certificate or nomination or
request of electors: Provided, how
ever, That when any person who has
been regularly nominated and who
shall decline TO run for the office
to which he has been nominated.
the party by which such per-
son was nominated shall be al
lowed five days after such declina-
ton TO run by such person, in
which to substitute another candi-
date. In case of any person to be
voted for by the electors of the whole
State. or of any entire Congressional
District, such certificate of nomina
ton shall be filed in the Office of the
Secretary of State not less than thir-
~ days before the day of election.
and such Secretary of State shall
thereupon Immediately certify to the
board of county commissioners OF
each county in the State in case of
an officer to be voted for by the cleo
tors OF the whole State. and to the
boards OF county commissioners of
the counties composing the Congress
sional District in case of an officer to
be voted for by the electors of such
district, upon suitable blanks to be
prepared by him for that purpose, the