PRIMARY, PUBLIC LIBRARY ASTOR, LENOX AND REGISTRATION AND Election Laws OF THE STATE OF WYOMING, Slate Libra IN FORCE FROM AND AFTER JANUARY 2), 1891. Published by Authority, under the Supervision and CHEYENNE, WYO. LEADER PRINTING COMPANY, STATE PRINTERS, 1891. WYO SEC. STATE SEH-bott THE PRIMARY LAW. (THIS LAW IS NOT INDEXED.) [Chapter 32, 1st Session, 1891.] AN ACT concerning primaries and public political meetings. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming : Application of law. How meetings shall be called. SECTION 1. Any caucus or public meeting of the qualified voters of a county, town or city, or ward of a city, of any specified party or portion of such voters for the nomination of candidates to be supported by any state, general, county, district, municipal or town election, or for the selection of delegates to any political convention, or for the appointment of any political committee, may be called by written or printed notice, specifying that the same is to be held in accordance with the provisions of this act, and the provisions thereof shall then apply to the conduct and proceedings of such meeting. Officers of meeting. SEC. 2. The call for the meeting shall designate by name or office the person who shall call the meeting to order; and the person so designated shall call the meeting to order and preside until a chairman shall be chosen. In case, however, the person so designated shall be absent at the time appointed, the meeting may choose a temporary chairman to act in place of such person. The organization of the meeting by the choice of a chairman, clerk and such other officers as the meeting may require, shall be the first business in order. When ballot shall be taken. SEC. 3. A ballot shall be taken for the choice of any candidate, delegate or member of a political committee to be selected by such meeting, in case five or more of the persons present and entitled to vote therein shall in any case so request in writing; and in case of such written request, a ballot shall be taken for the choice of the chairman of such meeting unless the meeting shall vote to dispense with such ballot. Such written request may be presented to the presiding officer for the being, by motion or otherwise at any time, before a choice of the officers to which it relates is effected. Illegal voting-Penalty. SEC. 4. Whoever shall vote at any such meeting, or at any causus or public meeting of the qualified voters of the county, district, town or city, or ward of a city, or of any specified party or portion of such voters, for the nomination of candidates to be supported at any state, general, county, district, municipal or town election, or for the selection of delegates to any political convention, or for the appointment of any political committee, not being a legal voter in the county, town or city, or ward of a city, as the case may be, in and for which such meeting is held; whoever shall so vote, being such legal voter, but not being included in the terms of the call under which such meetings are held; whoever shall vote or attempt to vote upon any name not his own, whoever shall vote or attempt to vote more than once at one balloting, whoever knowingly shall cast or attempt to cast more than one ballot at one time of balloting, or more than the number of separate ballots allowed to each voter, if more than one ballot is allowed to be cast, shall be punished by fine not exceeding fifty dollars, or by imprisonment in the jail not exceeding three months, or by both fine and imprisonment. Challenge of voters. SEC. 5. Any person offering to vote at any such meeting may be challenged by any person present, as to whether his political faith is in accordance with that of the party or voters holding such meeting. Upon such challenge, the party challenged, before he shall be permitted to vote, shall be required to make a sworn statement before the presiding officer of such meeting that his political faith is in accordance with the party or voters holding such meeting; and in case he refuses to make such sworn statement, his vote shall not be received. Fraud-Penalty. SEC. 6. Whoever, being an officer appointed and acting at such meeting, shall knowingly make a false count of ballots or votes, or make a false statement or declaration of the result of a ballot or vote, or knowingly refuse to receive any ballot cast by any person qualified to vote at such meeting, or shall wilfully alter, deface or destroy any ballots cast, or check lists used thereat, before the requirements of this act have been accomplished, or shall decline or fail to receive any written request made as herein required, or shall decline or fail to preform any duty or obligation imposed by this act, shall be punished by fine not exceeding fifty dollars, or by imprisonment in the jail not exceeding three months, or by both fine and imprisonment. Preservation of ballots. SEC. 7. The clerk chosen at such meeting shall at the request in writing of five voters entitled to act therein, safely keep all ballots cast, and check lists used therein for a period of three months, and shall produce the same if called for by any court of justice. Other regulations permitted. SEC. 8. Nothing herein shall prevent the enforcement at such meeting of further regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this act. In force. SEC. 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved January 7, 1891. |