as to the order or manner of the election, or the officers or number of them to be chosen. Conlin v. Aldrich, 98 Mass. 557; People's Mutual Insurance Company v. Westcott, 14 Gray, 440; Commonwealth v. Wentworth, 145 Mass. 50.

Every ballot should be complete in itself, and ought not to require extrinsic evidence to enable the election officer to determine the voter's intention. Perfect certainty is not required. It is sufficient if an examination leaves no reasonable doubt upon the intention, and technical accuracy is never required. The cardinal rule is to give effect to the intention of the voter, whenever it is not left in uncertainty; but if an ambiguity appears upon the face, the voter cannot be permitted to testify for whom or for what office he intended to vote. Cool. Con. Lim., *606; Cush. Parl. Law, § 105.

The ballot in no case should contain more names than the number of officers to be elected at that time; and, if it should, it must be rejected, for the reason that the canvassing officer cannot choose from among the names on the ballot, and apply the ballot to some to the exclusion of others. The choice must be made by the voter himself, and be expressed by the ballot. Such a ballot must not be rejected as to candidates for other offices regularly named upon the ballot; it is void only as to the particular office for which the multiple ballot was

cast. Cool. Con. Lim., *607; Dill. Mun Corp., § 198; Cush. Parl. Law, § 104.

The name on the ballot should be clearly expressed, and ought to be given in full. Errors in spelling, however, will not defeat the ballot, if the sound is the same; nor abbreviations, if such are in common use and generally understood, so that there can be no reasonable doubt of the intent. And it would seem that when a ballot is cast which contains only the initials of the Christian name of the candidate, it ought to be sufficient, as it designates the person voted for with the same certainty which is commonly met with in contracts and other private writings, and the intention of the voter cannot reasonably be open to any doubt. As the law knows only one Christian name, the giving of an initial to a middle name when the party has none, or the giving of a wrong initial, will not render the ballot nugatory; nor will a failure to give the addition to a name such as Junior-render it void, as that is mere matter of description, not constituting a part of the name, and if given erroneously may be treated as surplusage. But when the name upon the ballot is altogether different from that of a candidate, and not the same in sound and not a mere abbreviation, the evidence of the voter cannot be received to show for whom it was intended. Cool. Con. Lim., *608; Cush. Parl. Law. §§ 110-113.

The ballot should also sufficiently show on its face for what office the person named upon it is designated. If two officers are to be elected the one for a longer term than the other ballot should not only give the names of the persons, but should also designate which is intended for the longer and which for the shorter term. Technical accuracy is not required in these particulars, and the ballot is sufficient if no reasonable doubt can exist as to what is meant. A great constitutional privilege, the highest under the government, is not to be taken away on a mere technicality, but the most liberal intendment should be made in support of the elector's action whenever the application of the commonsense rules which are applied in other cases will enable us to understand and render it effectual. Cool. Con. Lim., *612.

The elector is not under obligation to vote for every office to be filled at that election; nor when several persons are to be chosen to the same office is he required to vote for as many as are to be elected. He may vote for one or any greater number, not to exceed the whole number to be chosen. Cool. Con. Lim., *613.

The right of suffrage is a right on the part of the electors to elect some one to an office, and not a right to prevent an election being made. The only way to defeat the election of

one candidate is by voting for another. Blank pieces of paper are not counted as ballots. Cush. Parl. Law, § 114.

In all elections of civil officers by the people, the person or persons having the highest number of votes shall be deemed and declared to be elected; but no persons receiving the same number of votes shall be deemed to be elected if thereby a greater number would be elected than required by law. St. 1890, c. 423, § 96.

It is only in the election of officers that a plurality of votes can prevail. In all matters other than the election of officers, a majority, and in some instances two-thirds of the voters present and voting, must vote in favor of a proposition or it is not carried. Borrowing of money, taking land for a park, removing park commissioners, are instances requiring a twothirds vote.

BALLOTS TO BE PRESERVED.

Moderators of meetings held for the election of town-clerk, selectmen, assessors, treasurer, collector of taxes, or school committee, at which all of said officers are voted for upon one ballot, shall cause the ballots cast for such officers, after the same have been sorted, counted, declared, and recorded, to be secured in an envelope, in open town meeting, and sealed with a seal provided for the purpose, and shall endorse upon

the envelope for what officers the ballots were cast, the date of the election, and a certificate that all the ballots cast by the voters of said town for such officers, and none other, are contained in said envelope. The moderator shall forthwith personally deliver the ballots, sealed as aforesaid, to the town-clerk. St. 1890, c. 423, § 97.

BALLOTS MAY BE RECOUNTED.

If within two days next following the day of an election in a town for town-clerk, selectmen, assessors, treasurer, collector of taxes, or school committee, at which all of said officers are voted for upon one ballot, ten or more qualified voters of such town file with the town-clerk a statement in writing that they have reason to believe that an error was made in ascertaining or declaring the result of any such election, specifying wherein they deem such to have been made, said clerk shall forthwith transmit such statement to the moderator. Such moderator shall thereupon, and within three days next following the day of such election, open the envelope or envelopes containing the ballots cast for candidates for the office the election to which is disputed, and determine the questions raised. If upon such determination it shall appear that some person was elected other than the person declared to have been elected, the moderator