Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-15

ELECTION clerk, ballot clerk, town clerk
or other officer however designated, Who
shall neglect to perform any duty inn
posed by this section. and any person
who shall abstract from or in any man.
ner tamper with said packages, or who
snail in any manner abstract from on
tamper with the unused ballots shall pe
punished as provided in section two of
this act.
Section s. Section fifty-four of chapter
six of the Revised Statutes is hereby
amended by substituting the word three
for the word thirty" in the fifth line of
said section. and by substituting the
fourteen days" in the seventh line of
said section; so that said section as
amended shall read as follows;
Section 81. The clerk of each town
of the secretary of state the returns of
votes given in his town, for governor,
senators, representatives to the legisla
ture, representatives to congress, elee-
tors OF president and vice-presideut Of
the United States, and for county off
GERS, within three days next succeeding
any meeting for their election. or shall
deposit them, postpaid, in some post
office, directed to the secretary of state,
within twenty-four hours after such
meeting, to be transmitted by mail; and
shall also forward to such office. soon
as practicable. statement attested by
him of the number of votes for said seV-
eral officers, given al such election in
his town, which shall be opened and filed
by the secretary and kept for public eX-
animation.
Section 6. Within twenty-four hours
after the close of any election for gov
ernor, senators, representatives to Che
legislature, representatives to congress.
electors of president and vice president
| of the United states, and for county otn-
GERS the clerk of each town shall secure
| ly pack in box or boxes all ballots
| ton and returned to him under the pro-
visions of section twenty-five of chapter
SIX of the Revised Statutes as amended
breaking the seals of the packages of
| ballots SO returned to him. together with
| an attested copy of his record of the
number of ballots sent by him to each
| polling place, and shall seal each box
| in such manner that the same cannot be
| opened without breaking the seal. and
within said twenty-four hours shall de-
| liver said box or boxes so sealed to some
| express company directed to and to be
| transmitted to the secretary of state
| Augusta, Maine. express charges prepaid,
ana snail take a receipt therefor: or
| within three days after the close of such
| election the clerk of each town shall de-
| liver said ballots or boxes so sealed 10
| the secretary of state at his office in Au-
| guSta. The secretary of state shall pre-
1 serve for a period of six months all such
ballots so received by him as public
| record. Any town clerk who negleets 10
perform the duties imposed upon him by
| this section and any person who breaks
any seal affixed to any package of bal
lots or to any box containing packapas
of ballots before the same are delivered
| at the office of the secretary of state
shall be punished as provided in section
| two of this act.
Section T. At the expiration of four
| teen days after any election specified in
the preceding section, the secretary OF
state shall forthwith send a MESSENGER
| to every town from which returns of
votes have not been received as provided
| In section fiftH-four of chapter six of
| the Revised Statutes. as amended by see
ton I'VE OF this act or from which the
sealed packages of ballots have not been
received as provided in the preceding
section; and the expense of each mes
senger shall be audited and paid, and
added TO the next state tax assessed on
the town, as provided in section one
Revised Statutes.
Section 8. The secretary of state shall
permit any candidate or other interested
person to inspect the ballots SO returned
To MN, in his presence or i'm the presence
of any. clerk of his Office designated bV
him, or i'm the presence OF the deputy
secretary OF state, under such reasonable
regulations or restrictions consistent
with the right of inspection as will Sc
cure every ballot from loss. injury or
change in any respect. After each in
spection the packages shall be again
Seaied ana the faet and date of inspeez
ton noted on the package Whenever
required so To do the secretary of state
OF The deputy secretary of state SHAH
produce any package of ballots in his
| custody before the governor and council
| the legislature or either branch thereof
| or any committee thereof or before anv
| court or magistrate having Jurisdiction
| or any proceeding relating 10 said
| election.
Section Q. The secretary of state shall
at the expense of the state provide and
seasonably send TO the several city. town
and plantation clerks suitable seals for.
use as required by the provisions of this
act, and printed forms of endorsements
ana suitable blanks for ALI certificates,
copies of records and returns required Ia
De made to his office, by this act; ana
shall also prepare and send in the same
package with said seals a letter of in
structions especially calling the atten-
ton of each clerk to the provisions Of
sections two, three four and six of this
act
Section TO- Section fifty-nine of chapter
six of the Revised Statutes is hereby
amended by inserting after the word
council in the thirteenth line thereaf
the following paragraph.
Upon written application filed with
me secretary of state within twenty DAYS
after the returns are opened and tabl-
lated, alleging that the return or record
OF the vote cast in any town does nor
correctly state the vote as actually cast
IN such town, and specifying the offices
as TO which such errors are believed 10
nave occurred, the governor and council
IN open meeting shall examine the ball
lots cast In said town and returned to the
secretary OF state. and if such return OF
record is found to be erroneous the re-
turn shall be corrected in accordance
with the number of ballots found to have
been actually cast in said town; bur no
sueh examination of the ballots shall be
made without reasonable notice to an
candidates for the Offices specified i'm the
application as to which such errors are
alleged to have occurred, stating when
and where such examination viii be
made and affording such candidates \
reasonable opportunity to be present in
person or by counsel at such examination
ana be heard in relation thereto, So that