Year: 1874

We published la full, on Sunday
morning, the act of congress prescIio-
ing the mode of conducting the clec-
ton Of members to congress. As It's
length may deter many from reading
II, we propose TO recapitulate, rs hrIel-
ly rs we can, its main features.


The first section provides that the
election shall be by ballot.


The second section makes IL the duty
of the sheriff of the county 10 furnish
TO the officers of the election in each
precinct, two days before the election,
"a strong aud well made ballot box,
sufficiently large to contain all the bal
lots to he cast at the precinct or voting
place to which it is sent; such box to
have on it a lid, working on hinges,
and provided with Il lock and key"
This box IL to have only one opening
fan aperture sufficient only for the
insertion of the ballots,n and the ol)i-
GERS of election are to satisfy them
selves, before they begin to receive bal
lots, that the box is empty.


The record of the voters for members
of congress is required, by the third
section, to be kept separate and dis
tinct from the record of voters in any
other election that may be held at the
same time and place. said record is
to be headed as follows: "a list OF
those voting for representative in con
gress at - precinct or voting place,
in - county, ut the election held on
the ----day of is" The blanks
are to be appropriately filled by the
officers of the election at each precinct.


Section fifth requires that all ballots
shall be written or printed on WhHe
paper, and shall have no other distin-
gushing marks on them than the
name of the person voted for. 1t also
requires that all ballots shall be folded
so rs to conceal the name of the per-
son voted for. The common heading,
"Democratic ticket" would vitiate a
ballot and make it necessary for the
Officers of election to throw it ont.


Section sixth goes with particularly
into the manner of dcposiring the bal
lot. It shall be given to the judges of
election, who shall examine it far
enough to see that it is one ballot, and
then deposit it in the box. 1t is made
a punishable offence for any officer OF
the election to so far examine the vote
of any voter as to see the
name of the person voted for.


The seventh section requires that
the officers Of election, on the same
day of the election, after the close oil
the polls, shall, in private and without
the presence of any one but themselves,
open the box and count the votes, ana
upon such count shall make UP their
certified returns. After the count is
finished the ballots shall all be re-
turned to the box, and the box being
locked up shall be delivered to the
clerk of the county court.


Section eight provides for recount
of the ballots by the county examining
board.


Section nine provides for the ballots
being flied away with the clerk OF the
county court, to he preser> ed by him
for two years at least.


Sections ten, eleven and twelve,
specify the punshments for violations
of the preceding provisions.


Section thirteen makes it the duty OF
the sheriff "to announce, in an audible
voice,r the name of every voter VINO
offers his ballot to the judges of cleo
ton.


A close reading of the act shows that
it was based upon the election law OF
some of the states, if it was not bodily
taken from the statute books of some
of them. 1t requires machinery al
together different from that provided
for our state elections, but in spite OF
that, every effort must be made by
those charged with the management
of the polls to see thatitS requirements
are literally carried out is far as posi-
bic. a failure to do so may result
very disastrously to us.