around this election officer to prevent anyone from detecting him in the perpetration of his fraud. We think this election law is a crying evil which demands immediate reform.

We, therefore, herewith submit, on right of suffrage, the section contained in the present Constitution, and along with it submit some sections on the method of voting.

The sections on the method of voting are submitted with great diffidence. We recognize that they are not perfect, but they have been drawn in an honest effort to correct to some extent the present evil method.

It will be noted that we provide that the voter acquiring the right to vote after the adoption of this Constitution shall prepare his own ballot and write his name on it. This is an automatic educational test applicable to all classes alike, but will not deprive any man of the right to vote who now has that right. Under the present advantages for obtaining an education we deem this a reasonable requirement, and one that will cause men to take advantage of their opportunities for education, and at the same time tend to place the method of conducting the elections on a higher plane.

Respectfully submitted,

A. P. GILLESPIE.

ELECTIVE FRANCHISE AND METHOD OF VOTING.

Section 1. Every male citizen of the United States, 2 twenty-one years old, who shall have been a resident of the 3 State twelve months, and of the county, city, or town in 4 which he shall offer to vote three months next preceding 5 any election, shall be entitled to vote for members of the 6 General Assembly and all officers elected by the people : 7 provided, that no officer, soldier, seaman, or marine of the 8 United States army or navy shall be considered a resident 9 of this State by reason of being stationed therein and pro10 vided, also, that the following persons shall be excluded 11 from voting:

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First. Idiots and lunatics.

Second. Persons convicted of bribery in any election, 14 embezzlement of public funds, treason, felony, or petit lar15 ceny.

16 Third. No person who, while a citizen of this State, has, 17 since the adoption of this Constitution, fought a duel with 18 a deadly weapon, sent or accepted a challenge to fight a 19 duel with a deadly weapon, either within or beyond the 20 boundaries of this State, or knowingly conveyed a challenge 21 or aided or assisted in any manner in fighting a duel, shall 22 be allowed to vote or hold any office of honor, profit, or 23 trust under this Constitution.

Sec. 2. All elections by the people shall be by ballot, 2 and all elections by the representative bodies shall be viva 3 voce. The ballot box shall, during all elections, be kept in 4 view of the voters, and the ballots shall not be canvassed or 5 counted in secret.

Sec. 3. Every voter shall prepare his own ballot, write 2 his name on the back of same, and deposit it in the ballot3 box without assistance from anyone, except that all persons 4 entitled to vote at the time of the adoption of this Constitu5 tion, and voters physically unable to prepare their ballots, 6 may receive aid in preparing and depositing their ballots by 7 a person of their own selection in the presence of the judges 8 of election.

9 The ballot shall be prepared by marking off or erasing 10 from the ballot the names of all the candidates except the 11 candidates for which the voter desires to vote; but if the 12 voter does not desire to vote for any of the candidates whose 13 names are printed on the ballot, then he shall be allowed to 14 mark off the names of all the candidates whose names are 15 printed thereon, and write on the ballot the name of the 16 person for whom he desires to vote.

17 Where a voter receives aid in the preparation of his bal18 lot, then his name shall be written thereon by the person 19 selected to give him aid, and witnessed by such person sign20 ing his name on the back of the ballot as a witness.

Sec. 4. It shall not be lawful for any officer conducting 2 the election to disclose how any elector voted, except in 3 cases of contested elections, and the General Assembly shall 4 provide by law for the punishment by fine and imprison5 ment of any election officer disclosing how an elector has 6 voted, except in cases of contested elections. But the elec7 tor himself shall have the right to declare how he voted and 8 to vote an open ballot in the presence of any or all of the 9 officers of election.

Sec. 5. Any person who intends to be a candidate for 2 any office, State or national, to be elected by the electors of 3 the State at large, or of a district composed of different 4 counties and cities of the State, shall, at least twenty days 5 before such elections, notify the Secretary of the Common6 wealth of such intention, and it shall be the duty of the 7 Secretary of the Commonwealth to at once notify the sher8 iffs of the different counties and the sergeants of the differ9 ent cities of the Commonwealth, or of the district where the 10 election is to be held of the intention of such person to be a 11 candidate; and any person intending to be a candidate for 12 any office not embraced in the foregoing shall give notice at 13 least twenty days before the election to the sheriff of the 14 county or sergeant of the city where the election is to be 15 held, of such intention.

16 At least fifteen days before the election the sheriff of the 17 county or sergeant of the city where the election is to be 18 held shall cause the ballots for the election to be plainly 19 printed on white paper in the English language, and on 20 each ballot shall be printed in black ink the names of the 21 different offices to be voted for, and immediately under the 22 name of each office shall be printed the names of all candi23 dates for such office, in the order in which they have given 24 notice of their candidacy. The name of each candidate 25 shall be printed in a separate line, and the type used in 26 printing said ballots shall be plain Roman type, not smaller 27 than type known as pica. The ballots so printed shall be 28 known as official ballots, and there shall be printed a num29 ber of ballots equal to twice the entire registered vote of 30 said county or city, and the sheriff of the county or sergeant 31 of the city shall in person or by deputy distribute said bal32 lots among the different precincts of the county or city by 33 delivering, at each precinct of his city or county, to one of 34 the officers appointed to hold the election at such precinct,

35 twice as many ballots as there are registered voters at the 36 precinct. On the back and outside of the official ballot 37 shall be printed the words "official ballot," followed by the 38 date of the election and a fac simile of the signature of the 39 sheriff or sergeant who had same printed.

Sec. 6. It shall also be the duty of the sheriff of each 2 county and the sergeant of each city to have printed on 3 paper of different color from that on which the official bal4 lot is printed, exact copies in all respects, except the color 5 of the paper, of the official ballots. These copies shall be 6 known as sample ballots, and a copy of said sample ballot 7 shall be posted by the sheriff of the county or sergeant of 8 the city, for at least ten days before the election, at each 9 voting precinct in the county or city in which the election 10 is to be held, and the said sheriff or sergeant upon request 11 of any voter shall furnish him a copy of said sample ballot.

Sec. 7. All elections shall be conducted by three judges 2 and two clerks of elections, appointed by the circuit courts 3 of each of the counties and cities of the Commonwealth for 4 the respective precincts of each of said counties and cities, 5 and it shall be the duty of the circuit courts of each of the 6 cities and counties of this Commonwealth annually to ap7 point, at least three months before an election is to be held, 8 three judges and two clerks of elections for the different 9 precincts of said cities and counties. And where there are 10 political parties existing in any city or county then one of 11 the said judges of election and one of the clerks shall be 12 appointed by the court from qualified voters recommended 13 to said court by the chairman of the Executive Committee 14 of the political party of said county or city which cast the 15 greatest number of votes therein at the last preceding elec16 tion; and shall also appoint one of said judges and one of 17 said clerks from qualified voters recommended to it by the 18 chairman of the Executive Committee of the political party 19 of said county or city, which cast next to the greatest num20 ber of votes at said last preceding election.

Sec. 8. On the day fixed for holding an election it shall 2 be the duty of the judges and clerks of election appointed, 3 as provided for in the last preceding section, to take charge 4 of the ballots, ballot-box, and poll-books provided for hold5 ing the election, and open the polls at the voting places in 6 their respective precincts, and conduct the elections in all 7 respects in the manner prescribed by this Constitution and 8 by acts of the General Assembly passed in accordance there9 with. But should any judge or clerk of election fail to at10 tend at any place of voting for one hour after the time pre11 scribed by law for opening the polls at such election, it shall

12 be lawful for the judge or judges, clerk or clerks in attend13 ance, to select from among the bystanders one or more per14 sons possessing the qualifications of judges or clerks of elec15 tion, who shall act as judge or judges, or clerk or clerks of 16 such election, and who shall have all the powers and 17 authority of judges or clerks appointed by the court: pro18 vided, however, that if the judge or judges present have in19 formation that the absent judge or judges, or clerk or clerks 20 will not attend, he or they need not wait for the expiration 21 of an hour or any other time. Should all the judges and 22 clerks appointed for any place of voting fail to attend at 23 the place of voting for one hour after the time prescribed 24 by law for opening the polls at such election, it shall be the 25 duty of any justice of the district in which the election is 26 held, who shall be applied to for that purpose, or the mayor, 27 if the election is.in any election district in a town or city, 28 to appoint three judges and two clerks of election for such 29 election district, who shall possess the same qualifications 30 and have the same powers as judges and clerks appointed 31 by the court. Should no judges or clerks of election be ap32 pointed for any county, city, or place of voting therein, or 33 if appointed, they neglect or refuse to act for one hour after 34 the time prescribed by law for opening the polls at such 35 election, it shall be lawful for any five qualified voters of 36 the district, who shall be present and willing to act, upon 37 taking the oath prescribed for judges and clerks of election, 38 to proceed to hold, conduct, and certify the election in the 39 manner prescribed by law, and for that purpose shall have 40 all the powers and authority of officers appointed by the 41 court.

Sec. 9. The General Assembly shall prescribe by law for 2 how the ballot-box and poll-books shall be furnished to the 3 election officers of the different precincts, and shall also pre4 scribe by law, in accordance with the provisions of this 5 Constitution, how the elections shall be conducted, and how 6 the vote shall be canvassed, counted, and returned and cer7 tificate of election made out.

8 Provided, the time for opening the polls shall be fixed 9 at sunrise and the time for closing the polls shall be fixed 10 at sunset of the same day and

11 Provided, that no elector shall be allowed to occupy 12 more than two minutes in voting, to the obstruction of other 13 electors and

14 Provided, that when the right to vote of any elector is 15 challenged, there shall be tendered to him by one of the 16 judges of election the following oath: "You do solemnly 17 swear (or affirm) that you are a citizen of the United