Case Name: SMITH ET AL. v. SAYE ET AL., PERMANENT ROAD COMMISSION OF YORK COUNTY
Court: Supreme Court of South Carolina
Jurisdiction: South Carolina
Decision Date: 1924-10-25
Citations: 130 S.C. 20
Docket Number: 11584
Parties: SMITH ET AL. v. SAYE ET AL., PERMANENT ROAD COMMISSION OF YORK COUNTY
Judges: Mr. Justice Watts and Mr. Acting Associate Justice M. L. Smith concur.
Reporter: South Carolina Reports
Volume: 130
Pages: 20–72

Head Matter:
11584
SMITH ET AL. v. SAYE ET AL., PERMANENT ROAD COMMISSION OF YORK COUNTY
(125 S. E., 269)
Messrs. Wilson & Wilson and Marion & Finley, . for appellants,
Messrs. McDonald & McDonald, for respondents,
October 25, 1924.

Opinion:
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Mr. Justice Cothran.
Proceeding by certiorari in the Court of Common Pleas for York County, for the purpose of reviewing the action of the Permanent Road Commission of York County, acting as a board of canvassers, in declaring the result of an election held on October 23, 1923, upon the question submitted under the Act of March, 1923 (33 Stat. at Large, p. 881), of the issue by the County of $2,000,000 of road bonds, in favor of such issue.
After the election had been held on October 23, 1923, the board of canvassers met on October 30th, for the purpose of canvassing the election, tabulating the returns, and declaring the result of the election. At that meeting certain citizens (the respondents in this appeal), appeared and filed a formal protest and contest against the validity of the election, upon various grounds which will later be stated. The board took a mass of testimony, which is set out in the record, and decided by a vote of 4 to 1, to overrule all objections and declare that the election had been carried in favor of the issue of bonds, by a vote of 1,005 to 673, a plurality of 332 in favor of the issue.
Thereupon the protesting citizens filed a petition for a writ of certiorari to review this action of the board of canvassers, which was duly issued, and to which the board made return. The matter then came on to be heard by his Honor, Judge Henry, upon the report of the board, the dissent of Col. Lewis, a member, the protest, the testimony taken, the writ, and the return.
On'January 11, 1924, Judge Henry filed a decree overruling the report of the board, sustaining certain of the grounds of protest-filed by the petitioners, and holding "the election held at the precincts of Ebenezer, Rock Hill and Fort Mill, null and void," and that, consequently, a majority of the votes in the County was against the issue of the bonds, that is 567 to 268, eliminating these three boxes.
It will be observed in passing that Judge Henry did not declare the election void; on the contrary, he held that, by reason of the irregularities at the three precincts named, the votes at those precincts must be eliminated, resulting in a valid election against the issue. From this decree the permanent road commission has appealed, one of its members not participating in the appeal.
The petition for the writ of certiorari follows the general lines of the protest, in its attack upon the validity of the election as a whole, and in addition insists that for irregularities and illegalities at the precincts of Rock Hill and Fort Mill, those boxes should be thrown out entirely, leaving the result against the issue of bonds. It omits the attack contained in the protest against the vote at Ebenezer precinct.
The Circuit Judge declined to set aside the election in toto; on the contrary, he confined his decree to a consideration of the alleged irregularities and illegalities at Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Ebenezer (although, as stated, the attack upon the vote at Ebenezer, contained in the protest, is omitted from the petition), and held that by reason thereof those boxes should be thrown out entirely. The result accordingly was:
Total votes for bonds.................................................. 1005
Less:
At Rock Hill................................................ 621
At Fort Mill . 97
•At Ebenezer.................................... 19 737
Net vote for bonds . 268
Total votes against bonds.............................................. 673
Less:
At Rock Hill................................................ 59
At Fort Mill........................................ 35
At Ebenezer.................................................. 12 106
Net vote against bonds................................................ 567
He, therefore, held that the result of the election was a "majority in the County against the issue of bonds."
Omitting, for the reason stated, a consideration of the alleged irregularities and illegalities in the conduct of the election at Ebenezer, the question for considera-
tion and decision is whether or not the alleged irregularities and illegalities in the conduct of the election at the precincts of Rock Hill and Fort Mill, are legally sufficient to justify the conclusion of the Circuit Judge that those boxes should be thrown out entirely, leaving the result against the issue of bonds.
Taking up the specific charges of irregularities at these precincts (Rock Hill and Fort Mill), we find that there are three : (1) That persons were allowed to vote without requiring of them the production of registration certificates; (2) that persons were allowed to vote without requiring of them proof of the payment of all taxes, State, County, municipal, poll, and State income tax, due for the year 1922; (3) that persons were allowed to vote without having been sworn as required by law.
The first two charges apply to both Rock Hill and Fort Mill; the third to Fort Mill only.
Certain specific objections were made to the entire election: (1) That the Supervisors of Registration failed to revise the list of registered electors as required by Volume 3, Code of 1922, § 215; (2) that the books of registration were not closed and kept closed for 30 days preceding said special election, and kept in the custody of the Clerk of Court, as required by Volume 3, Code of 1922, § 220.
Inasmuch as these questions are not passed upon in the decree, and its result is to affirm the validity of the election (eliminating the votes at Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Ebenezer), it must be assumed that they were not sustained, and are not, therefore, before us for consideration.
The facts as to these alleged irregularities are fully set forth in those portions of the record for appeal hereinafter directed to be reported, and need not be repeated here. Assuming, but not deciding, the validity of the objections, it is demonstrable that the alleged irregularities could not have altered the result of the election, and were, therefore, insufficient to vitiate the entire votes at the precincts of Rock Hill and Fort Mill. It will be observed that the alleged irregularities and illegalities, by reason of the unauthorized use of duplicate registration certificates, the lack of the proper proof of the payment of taxes, and the omission to administer the oath to voters, are confined to the two precincts of Rock Hill and Fort Mill; there is no general attack upon the election as a whole based upon them.
Objections to the conduct of an election assume these aspects: (1) Where the illegal voting appears to have been so general that the entire election was necessarily affected thereby, in which case the entire election is vitiated and must be annulled; (2) where the illegal voting is confined to only a few of many precincts, in which case the rejection of the vote of the precincts thereby affected will not necessarily vitiate the entire election, and the question whether the entire vote of the precinct affected shall be eliminated, or only the illegal votes deducted, depends upon the practicability of purging the roll of such illegal votes, and upon the further inquiry whether or not the presence of such illegal votes has produced an erroneous result in the entire election; (3) where the illegal voting has occurred in such a large number of precincts as to indicate a controlling effect upon the entire election, in which case the entire election will be annulled.
As is said in the case of State v. Board, 86 S. C., 451; 68 S. E., 676:
"In the elections reviewed in Wright v. Board and Gunter v. Gayden, it appeared that the illegal voting was so general that the whole election was thereby affected, and, therefore, vitiated. But when the illegal voting is confined to. only a few of many precincts, the rejection of the vote of the precincts thereby affected will not necessarily vitiate the entire election."
The Court adds:
"There may be cases, however, in which the number of precincts rejected on account of fraud or illegal voting is so large that the whole election will be declared void, even though the result at the other precincts would remain unchanged."
We think that the same result would follow where the vote at the rejected precincts bears a very great proportion to the whole number of votes cast, as in the case at bar, where it appears that the vote at Rock Hill and Eort Mill constituted 80 per cent of the total.
If, therefore, it has been shown that the voting at these two precincts was so permeated with illegality as to require the elimination of the entire vote there, in consideration of the immense proportion of the entire vote cast at these two precincts, and in analogy to the principle announced and quoted above, the entire election should be declared void.
The facts as found by the board of canvassers are not open to contrversy in proceedings by certiorari unless the findings are without evidence to sustain them. "It is well settled that this Court will not review the findings of fact of an inferior Court or body, on writ of .certiorari, unless they are wholly unsupported by the evidence." Jennings v. McCown, 97 S. C., 484; 81 S. E., 963.
The board has found, and there is an abundance of evidence to sustain them, the following facts in reference to the issuance of so-called duplicate registration certificates:
The total number written up by Clinton, one of the board of registration, was............ 147
Of these there were destroyed............... 5
Leaving . 142
There were issued at Rock Hill.............. 104
And at Eort Mill . 38 142
Of those issued at Rock Hill................ 104
There were not used....................... 6
Actually issued and used.................... 98
Of those issued at Fort Mill................ 38
There were not used..........................................,. 22
Actually issued and used................... 16
Total number actually issued and used at both precincts............................. 114
Assuming that all 114 were issued to and used by voters •who favored the bond issue, of which assumption the con testants cannot complain, there would remain a majority in favor of the bond issue of 332 — 114 = 218.
The board has also found as a fact, of which there is ample support in the evidence, in reference to the certificates as to payment of taxes, that the total number issued did not exceed 100 at Rock Hill, and that there were 10 issued by bankers at Fort Mill, making a total of 110. Assuming that all 110 were issued to and used by voters who favored the bond issue, o.f which assumption the contestants cannot complain, there would still remain, after deducting 114 for the duplicate registration certificates, and 110 for the certificates as to payment of taxes, from the apparent majority of 332 (332—224), a majority of 108.
Tt is alleged in the petition, and practically conceded in the report- of the board, that at least one-helf of the voters at Fort Mill were allowed to vote without having been sworn as required by law. At Fort Mill there were 132 votes cast. We may assume that not only one-half but all of the 132 were not sworn, and eliminate the entire vote of 97 for, and 35 against, the bond issue, a majority of 62 for the bond issue. Deducting that number from the net majority above stated of 108, and there still remains a majority of 46. All that the contestants claim, however, to be illegal is one-half of the 132 votes — 66; an equal number are conceded to be legal,- and they, added to the 46, increase the majority to 112.
Or take the most favorable aspect of the situation conceivable under the evidence:
Eliminate the majority in favor of the bond issue at Fort Mill................................. 62
Eliminate the votes at Rock Hill upon the questioned registration certificates . 98
Allow 50 or more votes than the board estimates (100) to have been based on the questioned certificates of payment of taxes at Rock Hill.............. 150
And we have a total of..............'............ 310 Which deducted from the 332 apparent majority, still leaves a majority of 22. This is upon the assumption that all of the votes at Rock Hill were cast in favor of the bond issue, and gives the contestants, without diminution, the full benefit of the 59 votes in opposition. The evidence shows that some, at least, who used the questioned certificates of registration and payment of taxes voted against the bond issue.
There is absolute unanimity in the decisions of this Court and elsewhere, that, in the absence of fraud, it is incumbent upon a contestant to show, not only, that there were irregularities or illegalities in the conduct of an election, but that such irregularities or illegalities were either such as to produce an erroneous result or to leave that question in doubt. But that where the election can be purged of such improper votes and it is demonstrated that the result is the same as if they had not been cast, the election will not be disturbed. We can conceive of no method of purging that could give less offense to the contestant than to assume that all of the questioned votes were cast against him; for the greater the number cast for him, the less is the probability that the result would have been otherwise.
"Unless it is expressly declared by statute that the particular act is essential to the validity of the election, or that its omission will render it void, an election which appears to have been fairly and honestly conducted will not be vitiated by mere irregularities, which are not shown to have affected the result. In the absence of fraud, the misconduct of election officers or irregularities on their part will not justify rejecting the whole vote of a precinct, where it does not appear that the result was affected thereby, even though the circumstances may be such as to subject the officers to punishment." 20 C. J., 180.
"The great object of elections is to obtain the will of the people, and when that is expressed in a free and fair election, the Court will not defeat it on account of irregularities, or even illegalities, which do not appear to have affected the result. But when they are of such character and extent as to leave it doubtful whether the result has not been affected, and especially when it appears that illegal votes have been cast, sufficient in number to affect the result, and the polls cannot be purged of them, it would be a travesty on popular government to sustain the election." Wright v. Board, 76 S. C, 574; 57 S. E., 536.
"The universal weight of authority is to the effect that where the result of an election is not made doubtful nor changed, irregularities or illegalities in the absence of fraud will not cause the expressed will of the body of voters to be set aside." State v. Board, 78 S. C., 461; 59 S. E., 145; 14 L. R. A. (N. S.), 850; 13 Ann. Cas., 1133.
"Unless the result of an election is changed or rendered doubtful, it will not be set aside on account of mere irregularities or illegalities." State v. Board, 79 S. C., 246; 60 S. E., 699.
"When it appears that 'enough illegal votes were cast in any election to change the result, the election must be declared void." Gunter v. Gayden, 84 S. C., 48; 65 S. E., 948.
"While the vote .was very close, 52 for bonds and 48 against it, it does not appear that the managers rejected more than one, possibly two, on this ground, who would have voted against bonds, hence it is not made to appear that the rule of the managers probably had the effect of altering the result." McLaurin v. Tatum, 85 S. C., 444; 67 S. E.,, 560.
When it appears that enough illegal votes were cast in an election to change the result or make it doubtful, it will be declared void. State v. Board, 86 S. C., 451; 68 S. E., 676.
"When the polls can be purged of the illegal votes this should be done, and only the illegal votes should be rejected, and the legal votes should be counted. But when this cannot be done the entire poll must be thrown out, if it appears that enough illegal votes have been cast to affect the result at such poll, or to leave it in doubt." State v. Board, 86 S. C., 451; 68 S. E., 676.
"Illegal votes where they can be eliminated from the count without affecting the result do not vitiate the election." Rawl v. McCown, 97 S. C., 1; 81 S. E., 958.
"'It is equally well settled that, when a sufficient number of illegal votes have been cast in an election to affect the result, and the polls cannot be purged of them, the election cannot be sustained." Jennings v. McCown, 97 S. C., 484; 81 S. E., 963.
"The true doctrine is that whenever the irregularity or illegality is such that the result of the election would be placed in doubt, then.the election must be set aside." Callison v. Peeples, 102 S. C., 256; 86 S. E., 635,Ann. Cas., 1917E, 469.
"We merely affirm the judgment that the election was void, on the ground that it appears upon the face of the proceedings that enough illegal votes were cast of which the poll could not have been purged to have affected the result or to have rendered it uncertain." Clark v. McCown, 107 S. C., 209; 92 S. E., 479.
"These votes were illegal, and, as there were enough of them to have changed the result, and as the poll could not have been purged of them because it did not appear how they voted, the election was thereby vitiated." Abernathy v. Wolfe, 117 S. C., 545; 109 S. E., 275 (quoting from Clark v. McCown, 107 S. C., 209; 92 S. E., 479).
If the highly prized right of voting is to be recognized, the right to have that vote counted is an essential incident of the right to vote. At most, there were not over 200 votes at Rock Hill that came within the objections of the contestants. Considering that they were all in favor of the bond issue there were left 420 votes at that precinct in favor of the bond issue, as to which no objection was interposed. The electors thus voting should not be deprived of the right to have their votes counted in the zeal to eradicate those alleged to have been illegal; they had rights as well as the contestants, and if the rights of both can be protected it should be done. The same is true to a lesser extent of the votes at Fort Mill in favor of the bond issue.
"Voters who have done all in their power to cast their ballots honestly and intelligently are not to be disfranchised because of act of irregularity, mistake, error, or even wrongful act of the officers charged with the duty of conducting the election, which does not prevent a fair election and in some way affected the result." 15 C. J., 180.
This is written in reference to those voters whose votes are in question; certainly those whose votes are not in question should not be disfranchised (wjhich would be the effect of throwing out the entire box), on account of illegalities connected with other votes, unless it should plainly appear that the number of such illegal votes was so great as probably to have produced the result complained of, or at least have left the question in doubt.
There is not the slightest evidence in the case of improper conduct on the part'of the managers of election, who were advised by a most reputable attorney of the York county bar, and every circumstance indicates the desire and attempt to discharge the duties imposed upon them faithfully and fully as they understood them. The same may be said of the board of canvassers, some of whom are personally known to the Court, and who, advised by one of their number, a lawyer of the highest character and ability, have displayed every evidence of fairness.
Let the petition, the return, the report of the board of canvassers with the dissenting opinion of Col. Lewis, and the decree of Judge Henry, be reported.
The judgment of this Court is that the decree of the Circuit Court be reversed, and that the report of the board of canvassers be confirmed.
Mr. Justice Watts and Mr. Acting Associate Justice M. L. Smith concur.
Mr. Justice Marion disqualified.
Mr. Chiee Justice Gary did not participate.
Acting Associate Justice P. F. Henderson (concurring) : 'While admitting the cogency of the reasoning upon which the leading opinion herein is based, which is to the effect that even though there be irregularities in an election, unless said irregularities affect the result or put the same in doubt, the election must be upheld, the respondent upon the reargument of this appeal vigorously challenged the accuracy of the various tabulations set out in the. opinion of the Court. The respondent submitted that the number of alleged irregularly issued registration certificates could not be accurately determined, and especially that the number of alleged irregularly issued tax certificates could be 'determined with no accuracy whatsoever. A careful review of the testimony herein reveals the fact that a practically accurate count and checking of the registration certificates in question was made.
The showing as to the number of alleged irregularly issued tax certificates used as proof of the payment of taxes at the Rock Hill box is not so satisfactory. Mr. Neil, who issued' these certificates kept no accurate count of their number as he issued them, due to the fact that he entirely relied upon the opinion of counsel that they were legal. When the matter was questioned he was naturally able only to give an estimate that he had issued not more than 100. He further stated that he might have said that he may have Issued as many as 150. In the leading opinion of the Court his estimate of 100 certificates so issued is accepted, but the Court in its final analysis of the figures allows a count of 150. Inasmuch as this figure is the outside limit of any showing made by or on behalf of the respondents, the taking of this figure as a concession to the respondents in tabulating the whole vote would seem to be reasonable.
Inasmuch, however, as Mr. Neil further admitted in answer to the direct questions propounded to him that there was "no possible way now of telling the exact number of these certificates," it may be proper for the Court to de termine the legality of the use of said certificates, and my preference is to do so.
The Constitution provides that managers of election shall require of each prospective voter "proof of the payment of all taxes." The production of a tax receipt or the certificate of the officer authorized to collect taxes is made "conclusive proof" of payment. Manifestly then a lesser degree of proof than absolute "conclusive proof" 'may be accepted by the managers.
In State ex rel. Davis v. State Board of Canvassers, 86 S. C., 451; 68 S. E., 676, at certain election boxes the managers actually agreed not to require proof of the payment of taxes. After the election they testified that they knew the voters personally, and were satisfied that they had paid their taxes, and that they were informed that the sheriff had not been in the neighborhood to levy and collect tax executions, and that the inference was that all people-in that community had paid their taxes. The Court upon-this showing tersely ruled: "Such a palpable attempt at evasion of the law will not be tolerated."
The question then presented in the present inquiry is to find the mean between these two extremes.
In the present case it appears as uncontradicted that H. E. Neil had been treasurer of York County during 1922, when-the taxes in question had been paid. He had collected said taxes, and either personally or by deputy had issued the certificates and made the entries on the tax books. Before the election Neil had been succeeded by W. D. Thomasson. With the acquiescence of Thomasson, the treasurer of the county, Neil, the ex-treasurer, took the tax books to Rock Hill. The managers of election made a formal ruling, embodied in a letter to Neil, to the effect that they would accept certificates issued by him to the voters as evidence of the payment of the taxes, or of the fact that no taxes were assessed against certain voters. Neil then, without any hint of partiality or discrimination, issued' certificates, after actually consulting the tax boots, which were then in his charge, to all voters who applied. 'In the decision of the Court in State v. State Board of Canvassers, supra, after condemning the "palpable attempt at evasion of the law," therein set out, the Court said:
"Just what proof of payment of taxes, other than the certificate or receipt of the officers authorized to collect taxes, which is made conclusive proof thereof, will satisfy the statute, it is not now necessary to decide. But when the Legislature used the word 'proof,' it meant legal and competent evidence, furnished by affidavit, or in some other legal form, and such as would satisfy a reasonable mind of the truth.1'
A reasonable construction of this language and of the Constitution itself is that in the first instance (subject to review by the Courts, of course) the managers of election may pass upon the sufficiency of the proof presented, and if the same is in some proper legal form, which need not necessarily be so formal as an affidavit, that the same may be accepted if it is such as will reasonably satisfy the mind of the truth of the question under inquiry, viz.: the payment of taxes by the taxpayer. The managers of election at Rock Hill in this instance carefully considered the matter of requiring proof of the payment of taxes, and while they did not require the production of a tax receipt or of a certificate from the treasurer of York County himself, they carefully required what might be considered the next best evidence obtainable, viz.: a certificate signed under his approval by his predecessor in office who had actually collected the taxes, and who gained the knowledge expressed in his certificates from the books themselves.
The language quoted hereinbefore from the Davis Case is possibly a mere dictum of the Court, but its logic is irresistible.
In my opinion, under the Constitution and the reasoning of the Davis Case (while the practice of taking the tax book away from the treasurer's office may be exceedingly unwise, and should not.be followed in future elections) the fact that the election managers at Rock Hill actually did adopt the course of procedure followed herein and actually did determine to- accept Neil's certificates as evidence of the payment of taxes, would prevent the rejection of the votes presented, under the plan followed, unless the Court upon review could say that the evidence so acted upon was entirely illegal, and was not such as would satisfy a reasonable mind that the taxes had been paid. Manifestly, however, Neil's certificates could not be said to be so irregular as to merit,' upon review, such a condemnation by the Court, and they certainly furnish convincing evidence of the payment of taxes. Hence the votes affected thereby could not, in my opinion, have been rejected.
Both for the reasons stated in the leading opinion of the Court herein, and for the reasons herein indicated, I concur in the reversal of the Circuit Decree.