Challenged Voters And Their Ballots

A Supervisor aaks u to publish and explain tho law onacted at tho iust sesión of the Legisl.ituio ciitiUod, "Aiiiict further to preservo the putlty oí alootions, and uard agaiust abusos of tho electiva franchise, by providing tor I he i'Jeutific.iüoii ai the ballots of unqualitied voters. in case of conteste d electious." Wo comply so tor as to quote the first three sections of the act in question, as follows: Skction 1. The People. of the State of Michigan enact, That at every gouoral, special, townslup, and charter election in this State, it .shall be the duty of the inspoctors of electiou of each votiug precinct, to cause to be nurabered in figures, aud iu numerical order, the name of every person entored upon the poll list.i required by law to be kopt at such election ; which figures shall bo placed against tho names on such poll litts at the time of the entry of said names thereon. Sec. '2. Whenever, at any general, special, township or charter election, m this State, the ballot of any pepón whohas beoncliallengcd as au unqualiñed voter, and whohas taken tho oath provided by law in such cases to be taken, (hall bo received by the inspectors of election, it shall be the duty of said inspectors to causo ;o be plainly eudoïsed oa said ballot, with !encil, aud in the ruannerhereinafter provided, jetere depositing tho samo in tho ballot box, the ïmmber correspondiiiR to the iiumber placed against such voter's name on tho poll ists ; and it shall further be the duty of such inspectors to cancel all other figures appeanng ou the back of said ballot, without opening the same : Provided, That in caso a ballot shall be so folded, defaced, printed or preparad that such number cannot be legibly and permanently written on the back thereof, it shall be the du;y of said inspectors to refuse to accept such ballot. Sec. 3. To prevent the ideutiflcation of said ballot, except as hereinafter provided, it shall be the duty of the inspectors of olection to cause to be securely attached to said ballot, with mucilage or othor adhesivo substance, a slip or piece of blank paper, of the same color and appearance, as near as raay be, a9 the paper ot tho ballot, in sucli mamier as to cover md wliolly concoul said endorsomeut, but not ;o injure or doface tho same; and it any nspector, clerk, or other officer of an election shall afterwards exposé said endorsomeut, or remove the said slip of paper covering the ame, or attempt to identify the ballot of ary voter, or suffer the same to be done by any other person, he shall, on conviction thereof, ie deemed guilty ot a misdemeuor, and shall )e amenable to the provisions of compiler's ection seven thousaud soven hundrod aud ïxty-nine of the compiled laws of eighteen lundred aud seventy-one. The numbered poll list required by tho first ection is, we take it, substantially the same as ïeretofore kept under long existiug statutes. Section two simply makes it the duty of the nspectors to indorse or mark on tho folded balotof the challenged voter- ïf such ballot shall be " sworn in " as the phrase goes - " vvith penil," the figures standing ou the poll list against hejname oí the challenged voter - first seeng that all other ñgures on said ballot are anceled or erasoil. Section throo makes it ;he duty of the inspector to protect such narked ballot from identiñeation by covering ho figures with a piece of blank paper of the ame color of the ballot. In doing this the nspeetor should be careful that the mucilage r paste used shall not deiace the figures : that s must make tho " patch " large enough so hat ita center may be free from gum or paste, or the tiguros may bo defaced or spoiled when he"patch" shall be removed by the judge il case oí a contested election. ïhe sections of tho act not pulilished have nothiug to do vith the duties of inspectors. The act apphes equïllyto charter, town, and oeneral clections.