The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1916-02-23
INSTRUCTIONS TO
THE GRAND JURY
Given by Judge Layman Refer
ing to the Election Laws.

your attention to, we have a number OF
sections of the statutes which have been
enacted for the purpose of protecting
the right of suffrage. Every man who
possesses the qualifications fixed by these
laws has the right to cast his vote at any
election and to have that vote counted as
cast This is your brthright and hertz
age. The right belongs to every citizen
of this county and Commonwealth.
These laws are your laws. They are the
very bed rock upon which your county
and state governments rest Through,
and by your elections, you select those
who discharge the affairs of county and
state. II the source become impure, YOU
cannot expect that there will flow there
from good government, because an inn
pure fountain does not give off pure
water. The criminal laws constitute the
fabric out of which is woven the protec-
ton of life, liberty and property which
you enjoy. Without them your life
would not be safe, your liberty would
not be preserved and your property
would no longer be secure. The man
who transgresses them, violates your
rights and the rights of every citizen.
1t is your duty, as citizens, as jurors, and
as patriots, to enforce and protect these
laws Independent of your oaths, you
should do this, but the oath places upon
you an additional obligation. You
should feel as much wrong when one of
your laws have been violated, as when
your property has been taken from you
against your will ana without your con-
sent The statute makes it the duty of
the county court clerk to cause the
names of all candidates in his jurisdic-
ton, where nominations have been made
to be properly printed upon the official
ballot If he shall willfully and know
ingly fail i'll this, he violates the law.
The paper for the ballot is required to
be of number one white book paper The
ballot is required to be i'll proper form
and the law imposes severe penalty
upon the printer of such ballot if he
prints same in any form other than di-
rected, or delivers any ballots to any
persons other then the county court
clerk. There must be printed 500 more
ballots than there were votes in the pre-
cinct at the last state or national elec.
ton. Also he is required to prepare
and furnish linen envelopes large enough
another for the tally sheet, and another
for the disputed ballots which shall, by
the officers be placed in said envelopes
respectively, and sealed when the said
election is over.
1t is the duty of the clerk to deliver
these, the proper pads and stencils to
the clerk of the precinct and take his
receipt therefor. Any clerk who fails to
do this, or person who willfully steals or
destroys or defaces any of these supplies
is guilty of a violation of the law
1t is the duty of the sheriff to pre-.
pare proper booths and election places,
and the duty of the person receiving the
ballot boxes, stencils, pads and envel-
opes, as above, to present them at the
poll for proper use and if any of them
willfully fail or refuse to do so, they
violate the law.
No person, except the election officers
and chaliengers, are entitled to remain
within fifty feet of the polls while the
election is being held
II is violation of law for any voter to !
attempt to leave the room with a ballot /.
The law imposes penalty upon any I.
officer who places any ballot in the bal !
lot box which has on it any distinguish |
ing marks, DETACHMENT or mutilation.
If any officer or other person en-
trusted with the custody or control
Of any ballot either before or after
they have been voted, shall in any
way mark, mutilate or deface any
ballots or place any distinguishing
marks thereon, either for the pur-
pose of identifying the same, or for
the purpose OF vitiating same is
guilty of a felony"
Any officer of an election who wllfully
certifes to false returns or any person
who fraudulently changes a certificate of
the result, is guilty of a felony
1t is a violation Of law for any person,
who haze not resided i'll a precinct sixty
days or in the county six months, or in
the state twelve months, to vote in any
election In order to vote in a general
election a man must be twenty-one
years of age At a primary election, if
he possess the other qualifications, he
may vote if he will arrive at the age of
twenty-onc years before the first general
election thereafter. One who makes a
false oath in order to secure vote is
guilty of a felony.
The general law here referred to APP
phys alike to all primary elections The
statute fixes severe penalty against
bribery, and defines it as,
ANY reward beueGt or a1yau-