The Hattiesburg news., 1911-07-24
ELECTION COMMISSIONERS WILL
COMPLETE REVISION oF>PoLL
BOOKS THURSDAY.
SOME BOOKS FLAGRANTLY KEPT
Work Of Sending Out Ballot Boxes,
Tickets and Election Supplies Starts
saturday--Must Be Returned by
Wednesday Following Election.

The county boards of election COM
missioners will furnish the work of re-
vising the registration and poll books
by Thursday night, and then turn
same over to the Democratic county
executive committees for the state
primary to be held ON August 1.
Under the statutes the county COM
missioners are allowed ten days in
which to complete the work of revis-
ion, and this period expires Thurs
day night In majority of the coun-
ties the commissioners have completed
their task, but will hold sessions each
day until Thursday night for the
purpose of hearing complaints from
persons who have been disqualified.
or making any corrections in the rolls
that may seem warranted.
In several of the larger counties.
where from 1000 to 1900 votes will
be polled, the commissioners have
enough work ahead to keep them busy
until Thursday night, owing to the
large number of changes that have
been found necessary, and the excep-
tionally heavy lists of disqualified per-
sons.
In nearly every county a goodly
number of persons who were lbpped
off by the commissioners last week
have been restored to the rolls, hav-
ing produced their tax receirssN, or
other substantial evidence of cuasifi-
cation. In this connection, it has be-
come quite apparent that in nainy
counties the poll tax books have eaen
kept in a flagrantly careless mannA,r
by tax collectors.
1t is impossible at this stage of t9e\
proceedings to form an accurate es-
innate of the number of white Demo
Gratis who have been stricken from
the poll books.
Each political faction has it's repre-
sentatives in attendance at the sitting
of the county election commissioners,
and the proceedings are being closely
watched. There are good reasons to
believe that the total qualified vote of
the state will not reach the figure of
four years ago, $4,000. and it may
fall as low as 100000. Should it go
in excess of 10000 there will be just
grounds for suspicion.
Immediately after the poll book re-
vision is finished the new books will
be turned over to the circuit clerks
in each county, and by that official
furnished to the subcommittee of
the Democratic county committees for
distribution at the various polling pre-
cincts
In many counties the ballot boxes
and poll books will be sent out to the
various precincts from the county
seats on Saturday, for delivery to cleo
ton managers. In others delivery will
not be made until next Monday.
The primary election statutes pro.
vide that ballot boxes and poll books
must be returned to the county seat
and delivered to the circuit clerk on
the day following the election, not
later than the noon hour of Wednes-
day, if possible.
Especial stress is being made on
this point, owing to the fact that four
years ago there was a very unseeming-
ly delay on the part of some election
managers in delivering the ballot
boxes.
: This year the boxes will be kept
: under careful surveillance until deliv-
: cry in sealed form at the circuit
clerks office, where they win be turn
5 ed over TO the county executive COM
!, mittees. A majority Of these bodies
: will hold their sessions to canvass thel
| returns on Thursday or Friday, and
. send the returns to the state commit
I tee which meets here on August to
! declare the results in all state con-
4 tests