Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-13

tn be UNPUBLISHED and repeated. An
elaborate and carefully prepared elec
lion law has been passed by the Legis-
lature intended to guard the votes am
secure to the voter untratnmeled the
privilege of casting has ballot TOT ehe
candidate of his choice, and OF haNlhs
that ballot coGnted as cast and the re
suit truly reported and the legal erect
granted.
As this matter is one submitted TO
YOU for Investigation, | deem that an
investigation Of the steps OF proceed
ure established by law will be useful
to you in your deliberations.
40 secure that end, there is es-
tablisbed q board of registry ard cleo
lion fer each district. 1t consists OF
four persons. legal voters and residents
az sllcli districts toiection law. section
Is. page ~, not more than two APP
roiptees to be nominated BY enc chair
man OF the county committee oil eacn
of the two political parties. They arc
under oath for the faithful perform
ance of their duty. So that You Sc
that this board is likely to be ana
practica " is equally conn osed o. NOM
bers opposed In political faiths. inns.
Of course. secures watchfulness ana
care. When the election has been con
Guided by the closing of the polls the
clerk of the board keeping the poll
book shall write In that book the whole
number of names of persons whose
votes have been received t%seetion s6l
and then the board shall unlock and
omen the ballot-box and proceed to
canvass the votes cast in the manner
indicated by section 81 of the act.
PrccsutteDs Provided.
Besides the member of the election
board, there may also be present
at the election and count chailengers
dulv appointed III OF opposing political
parties. The presence of these agents
of the parties and candidates tends like
wise to secure accurate counts ana
truthful certificates.
you will notice that the ballots are
to De taken out singly fronl the en-
velopes by the judge of election ana
whes the ballot is in his hands pub
licly read the same ana then deliver !.
the open ballot with its envelope to
the Inspector, who shall examine IT,
and If satisfied that 1t has been cor
reetly read. write its number on the
back of tho ballot and a corresponding !
number on is envelope, return the
ballot to its envelope and shall string |
the envelope and ballot by means of a )
needle and twine. (Sec. sd. :
The Judge of election and inspecto :
of election shall be the nominees of !
different county chairmen section lS, :
and so likely to be of different political ;
parties. The record of the voters so !
read and announced and inspected and !
kept by the clerks, being the other two
members of the board. and who, like
wise, are of different political parties. =
and they are required carefully and +
truly to cast up the votes given for a
each person (~section So. C
signing tho Returns. b
The board of election is forbidden |
to sign any returns until after the q
completion of the counting OF votes /.
and personal examination of tally Il
sheets to determine the results, and, :.
after completing the count, are re- I
CURED audibly and publicly to an I
nounce the result of the election in de- |
tail (~section Ss). and this counting OF a
the ballots shall be open and public, :
restricted only that the number present d
shall not hinder, delay or Inconvenience y
the officers In making the count and !
element (~section S9). .
ss<- Don AS the election shall be fin /.
ished and ballots counted. all the bal !
lots cast. poll list and tally paper and I
all unused and spoiled envelopes, shall i,
be deposited lin the. box. and he ball :
lotebox, after being locked and wound 4
with tape and sealed, shall remain :
under the care and custody of the =
township clerk t~section 99), to whom y
it shall be forthwith delivered by the 5
clerks of election, without delay, and i,
he shall keep the same with its con- :
tents, but shall not have the keys. and
he shall rot open or permit It to be !,
taken or opened for three months from -.
the election. The keys of the ballot :
boxes shall be deposited with the coun-. :
ty clerk (~section so. :
1.-THE board Of registry is required to :
max duplicate statements OF the re- 4,
suit Of the election to be signed by !
each member OF the board (~section 95), ;
to be taken by the judge or a member :
of the beard, to be designated within !,
two days and delivered to the county !
clerk, to be filed by him. and the
other statement to be delivered at the
same time, and with the ballot-boX. to /
the township clerk, to he at ono Sled J
by him. C
''Yo will therefore examine all these C
steps. see if che provisions Of the law d
ave been complied with and determine il
whether a false return has been made {
by the board, and II they nave neg Y
leeted to perform any of the duties of (
their Offices. If they have, they are c
liable to Indictment. (Seo. 1911 TO 1879. [
They may be punished for wilful /
or negligent breach of duty, Z
safeguards of Law. 1
You Will thus perceive the safe
guards which the law has thrown about
the sacredness of the ballot, that there :
should be no thwarting the public will,
and you will consider whether, in spite {
of these provisions, one could carry =
out a preconceived plan to make
a false certificate. The examination .
Of these steps, the testimony as to
persons. not only members of the cleo
ton board and other officials, but OF
other citizens Interested in the election |
and present at the count. should aid
YOU in determining whether there is
probable cause to suspect any derelic-
tion on part Of these officials and what
that may he.
we now turn TO the other OF the
two possible solutions OF the great
variation between the votes returned
and the votes counted under judicial