Year: 1872




publish the following laws for the govern
ment of elections in Tennessee


Every male person of the age Of twenty
one, being citizen of the United States,
and q resident of this State for twelve
months, and of the county wherein he may
offer his vote for six months next preced-
ing the election, shall be entitled to vote
for members of the General Assembly and
other civil officers for the county or dis
trict in which he resides, and there shall
be no other qualification attached to the
right of suffrage, except that each voter
shall give to the judges of the election,
where he offers to vote, satisfactory evil
dence that he has paid the poll taxes as
sessed against him for such preceding Pc
riod, as the Legislature may prescribe.--
Constitution.


The statutes provide:


No PERSONS vote shall be received out of
the county in which he resides. ~


The officer, or person holding any cleo
ton, or some Justice of the Peace, before
the opening of the polls, shall administer
to the judges appointed to hold the election
the following oath


"YOu do solemnly swear, that as Judge
of this election, you will suffer no one to
vote whom You know of your own knowl-
edge, or who appears, either by his own
oath or by the testimony of Others not to
be qualified voter, that you will not suffer
the ballot-boX to be out of your presence or
sight, unless it be left in the Immediate
care of one of your fellow-judges, until
every vote is counted out that you will
faithfully and impartially conduct your
sel+es as judges of this election; and that
you will, in all respects, perform the duties
imposed upon you by law as judges and in
spectors of this election, so help you God"
I The clerks of the different elections shall
take the following oath : ~ la 1.sss


"You do solemnly swear that you will
faithfully, truly and impartially discharge
your duty as clerks of this election, so help
you God.n re


If any person offers to vote, and none of
the judges know that he is aqualified voter,
or if his vote is objected to by any candi-
date or other citizen of the State, the judges
of the election, or some one of them, for the
officer or person holding the election, may,
under the direction of the judges, OF a ma
jority of them, may administer an oath in
the following form, or to the following eff
feet: s-e a E ass


"You do solemnly swear that you will
true answers make to such questions as
may be asked you touching your qualifica-
tions or right to vote at the present election,
so help you God"


Thejudges, or some of them, shall then
ask the person offering to vote the follow
ing questions


Are you citizen of the State of Ten
nessee


Are you twenty-one years of age?


Do you reside in this county?


Has your home been in this county six
months next before this day p r-s---


Have you voted at any other time or
place in this election?


The Judges, if not satisfied, may take the
testimony of byStanderS


When any person not a native born citi-
zen of the United States offers to vote, and
his vote is objected to, he shall produce a
certified copy of the record of his naturali-
zation, if the same is in his possession,
showing that he has been declared, by a
competent court, a citizen of the United
States. '.s


If copy of his naturalization is not in
his possession, he may be examined touch
ing it, and if the judges should be satisfied,
from his examination and other oral testi-
mony, if any is offered, that he is natural
ized, they shall receive his vote. e gf


In like manner the party offering to
vote may be examined as to his naturaliza-
ton, when he produces copy of the re-
cord of his naturalization, if it be objected
to on account Of authentication. =
Polls shall be opened at 8 O'Clock in the
morning and closed at o'clock in the
evening. F"a


| The following section is very important
and is often violated:


! "All voters in this State shall be requir-
| ed to vote in the civil district or ward in
which they may reside: Provided, that
Sheriffs or other officers holding elections
shall be permitted to vote in any ward or
district in which he may hold an election,
| Judges, jurors, litigants and witnesses at
tending court may vote in any ward or
district in which the court is held. And
provided further, that if, from any cause,
there should be failure to hold an cleo
ton in any civil district or ward in his
county or town, in any election, and at
! the time and place provided by law. And
that any persons violating the provisions
of this act shall be guilty of amisdemean-
or, and upon conviction thereof shall be
fined not less than ten nor more than
twenty-five dollars.


HOT2 ffTE NJ VNT n c.-IlA