Year: 1868

n J
General Ta @ Orders


I. The Mississippi Constitutional Con-
vention, convened at Jackson, Mssissippi,in
compliance with General Orders No. 81,
series Of 1867, from these Headquarters.
having framed a constitution and civil gov
ernment in conformity with the laws of the
United States, known as the "Reconstruc-
tion Acts and having provided for the sub
mitting of said constitution to the registered
voters for ratification or rejection, and hav-
ing provided for an election of State officers,
including senators and representatives in the
State legislature, and members of the House
of Representatives of the United States Con-
gress, at an election to be conducted by and
under the orders of the Commanding Gener-
al of the District, SAID election is by author
itv of the above cited laws and in accordance
with an ordinance of said convention hereby
ordered to be held in Mississippi, beginning
the 22d day of June, 1868, and continuing
until completed as herein prescribed at
which election the qualified electors may
vote ''for constitution" or against constitu-
tion," and also upon the same ballots for the
officers herein referred to.


II. Commencing fourteen days before the
Election. the B ards of X gstration will meet
at the county seat or such other p1a'e in their
respective counties as will be The most aces
sible to the people, after reasonable publls he'd
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Given by the retained registrar. by means of a
general and thorough distribution and post
ing of the printed notices furnished fl ON
these Headquarters for that purpose, and re-
wise for period of five days the registration
list, and, being satisfied that any person not
entitled thereto has been registered will strike
the name Of such person fIOm the list, and
such person shall not be allowed to vote.
The Boards will also during the same period,
ado to the registry the names Of persons who
at the time posses the qualifications required
by law, and who have not already regist red.
All changes made in the registration list will
be Immediately, upon the termination of the
period mentioned, reported by letter to these
Headquarters. These reports must show the
names of the persons added or erased, the pre-
cinct and The number of the certificate of regis
tration. In cases of erasure the reason will be
given. Ifno changes are made, the fact must
be reported.


III. In order to secure as nearly as possi-
BILE a full expression of the voice of the peo-
pie, the election will be held at each precinct
of every county of the State of Mississippi,
vision of the County Boards of Registration.
The method of conducting the election in
each county will be as follows: At the
meeting provided for in the foregoing para
graph each Board of Registrars will divide
the whole numter of election precincts of
their respective counties into three portions
as nearly equal in number as possible and
assign one of the shares thus made to each
registrar, who will be responsible for the
proper conduct of the election therein
Thereupon each registrar will appoint
judge and clerk of election, who with him.
self, will constitute the commissioners of
election - for all the precincts of his district
Each registrar will provide himself with d
ballot-bOx, with lock and key, and of suf


icient size to contain the ballots, of all the
registered voters in his entire share of the
county. Each registrar will give full and
timely notice throughout his district, of the
day of election in each precinct, by means of
handbills furnished for that purpose, so that
he, with his judge and clerk, can proceed
from precinct to precinct of his district, and
hold election on consecutive days-when the
distance between precincts will permit
with view to the early completion of the
voting. The election will be by ballot, and
will be conducted in all details not herein
prescribed, according to the custom hereto
fore in use in the State Each ballot will
have written or printed upon it: For
Constitution" or Against constitution"
and the names of the officers voted for. The
Commissioners of election will at any pre-
cinct in their share of the county, receive the
votes of persons registered in that share
Each voter, in offering his ballot, must ex-
hibit his certificate of registry, across the
face of which the clerk of election will write
his name in red ink, and the word "Voted,"



and indicating that a vote has been cast
upon that certificate at this election at the
same time the registrar will check off the
voters name On the precinct book, serving
as poll book" The polls will be opened at
8 o'clock, A. NJ, at each precinct, and will be
kept continuously open until p M, at
which time the polls will be closed. Before
opening the polls the ballot-boxes will be
opened, inspected by the Commissioners of
Election, to ascertain that they then contain
no ballots, and in this condition will be ex-
posed to the view of the persons who may
be in attendance. Then in public they will
be closed, locked and the locks sealed. The
ballot-boxes will not be unlocked or opened
until the election in the entire county is
ended Each day at the close of the election
the opening in the boxes through which the
ballots are deposited, will be closed by
covering of thick paper, securely sealed
with wax. This covering will be preserved
until voting is resumed. The sealing and
opening of the boxes, in the manner directed,
will be done in public.


The registrars VIII begin the election at
the most remote precincts, and proceed by
the most practicable route, from precinct to
the county seat or other place where the re-
vision of the registration may have been
held, and upon the arrival thereat of all the
Commissioners of election they will at once
open one poll and hold the election one day
for that precinct, at which poll, however,
any registered voter of the county who has
not previously voted may cast his ballot.
The voting at this poll will close the cleo
tion for the county. Within twenty-four
hours after the closing of the election in
each county, the ballot-boxes will be opened,
the ballots counted, and return of the cleo
tion made upon the blank forms prescribed
and furnished, and delivered to the hands of
a registrar to be hereafter designated, who
will at once bring them to these Headquar-
ters. Before the opening of the ballot-boxes
the registrars will invite at least one snlta-
bic person of each political party to be in
attendance during the counting of the bal
lots and the making up of the return. Such
persons will be afforded fair opportunity
of seeing that no frauds are committed, but
in no instance and under no pretence will
any return be made by the Commissioners
OF Election except in the manner above pre-
scribed.


~. Judges and clerks of election will be
selected by registrars, preferably from among
the residents of their respective districts
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