Elector must "I do solemnly swear that I will support, protect, and defend the constitution and government of the United States, and the constitution and government of the State of Florida, against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith, loyalty, and allegiance to the same, any ordinances or resolutions of any State Convention or Legislature to the contrary notwithstanding, so help me God." SEC. 8. No person shall be entitled to vote at any election, be registered unless he shall have duly registered six days previous to the day of election. six days before election. Revision of Commission'rs. CONDUCTING ELECTIONS. SEC. 9. The county commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet at the office of the clerk of the circuit court within thirty days preceding the day on which any election shall be held, and examine the list of registered electors, and erase therefrom the names of such persons as are known, or may be shown to their satisfaction to have died, or ceased to reside permanently in the county, or otherwise become disqualified to vote; Provi sts by County ded, That if any person whose name may be erased shall, on offering to vote at any election, declare on oath that his name has been improperly struck off from the list of registered voters, and shall take the oath required to be taken by persons whose right to vote shall be challenged, such person shall have the right to vote, and on making oath before the clerk of the court that his name has been improperly erased from the list of registered voters, may have his name again entered upon said list; and the county commissioners shall at the same meeting appoint a board of three discreet electors to be inspectors of the election for each place designated for voting within the county, and shall also at said meeting designate so many places for holding such election, within the county, as may be deemed necessary for the convenience of the electors, and shall cause three notices of such designation and appointment of inspectors to be posted conspicuously in the vicinity of each place so designated, twenty days before the election. Persons whose names are erased may vote when and how. Inspectors how appointed and of ap notice pointment. tors them. furnished SEC. 10. A complete copy of the list of the names of all persons duly registered as electors, shall be furnished to the inspectors List of elec of election at each poll or place of voting in the county, before the hour appointed for opening the election. The clerk shall prepare and certify such copies, and furnish the same to the sheriff at least two days before the day of holding the election, and the sheriff shall cause one of such lists to be delivered to one of such inspectors before the time for opening the election. SEC. 11. In case of the death, absence, or refusal to act, of any or all of the inspectors appointed by the county commissioners, the electors present at the time appointed for opening the election may choose, viva voce, from the qualified electors, such a number as, together with the inspector or inspectors What each ballot shall con SEC. 13. The names of all the persons voted for by any elcotor at any election, shall be on one ballot, and no ballot shall contain a greater number of names of persons for any office, than tain. there are persons to be chosen for such office. SEC. 14. Each person offering to vote shall deliver his ballot to one of the inspectors in presence of the board; which ballot shall be a paper ticket containing the names of the persons for whom the elector intends to vote, and shall designate the office to which such person so named is intended to be cho sen. SEC. 15. If at an election there shall be a vacancy to be supplied in any office, as well as a regular term of such office, the ballots shall designate the person voted for to supply the vacancy. To whom delivered. Duty of Board when challen SEC. 16. If any person offering to vote shall be challenged, as not qualified, by an inspector or by any other elector, one of the board shall declare to the person challenged the qualifications ges are made. of an elector. If such person shall claim that he is qualified, and the challenge be not withdrawn, one of the inspectors shall administer to him the following oath: "You do solemnly swear that you are twenty-one years of age; that you are a citizen of the United States, (or, that you have declared your intention to become a citizen of the United States according to the acts of Congress on the subject of natu ralization;) that you have resided in this State one year and Oath, Ballot construction and custody. opened. in this county six months next preceding this election; that you have not voted at this election, and that you are not disqualified to vote by the judgment of any court." If the person challenged shall take such oath, his vote shall be received. SEC. 17. There shall be provided by the county commissionboxes ers as many ballot boxes as there shall be places for voting in that county, which boxes shall each be provided with a suitable lock and key. There shall be an opening through the lid of each box, no larger than to conveniently admit a single closed ballot. After the close of any election, and canvass, the inspectors shall return such boxes to the clerk of the circuit court, together with the returns of such election. One of such boxes, with the key thereof in good order, shall be furnished to the inspectors of election before the holding of any general or special election. SEC. 18. Before opening the polls of any election, the ballot Box publicly box shall be publicly opened and exposed, and nothing shall remain therein; it shall be then locked, and the key thereof delivered to one of the inspectors, and said box shall not be opened until the close of the election. positing and receiving ballot. SEC. 19. When a ballot shall be received, one of the inspecManner of de- tors, without opening the same or permitting it to be opened, shall deposit it in the box. When any person shall have voted, his name shall be checked upon the list by one of the inspectors, and the clerk shall make a list of the names of the persons voting; and if such elector shall have been challenged and sworn, the clerk shall make note thereof, as follows: If the person shall swear that he is a citizen of the United States, the letter C shall be entered opposite his name in the list kept by the clerk; if he swear that he has declared his intention to become a citizen, then the letter D shall be entered opposite his name upon said list. preserve order. SEC. 20. The Board of Inspectors shall possess full authority to maintain good order at the polls, and to enforce obedience to Board may their lawful commands during an election, and during the canvass and estimate of the votes; and if any person shall refuse to obey any lawful orders of the inspectors, or by disorderly conduct in their presence or hearing, shall interrupt or disturb their proceedings, they may command any sheriff, or constable, or other person to take such disorderly person into custody and confine him during the election and canvass. Canvass of votes by in CANVASS BY THE INSPECTORS. SEC. 21. As soon as the polls of an election shall be finally spectors to be closed, the inspectors shall proceed to canvass the votes cast at such election, and the canvass shall be public, and continued public and manner of. without an adjournment until completed. The votes shall be first counted, and if the number of ballots shall exceed the number of persons who shall have voted, as may appear by the clerk's list, the ballots shall be replaced in the box, and one of the inspectors shall publicly draw out and destroy unopened so many of such ballots as shall be equal to such excess. SEC. 22. If two or more ballots shall be found folded together so as to present the appearance of a single ballot, they shall be laid aside until the count of the ballots is completed, and if upon comparison of the count and the appearance of such ballots a majority of the board shall be of the opinion that the ballots thus folded together were voted by one person, such ballots shall be destroyed. SEC. 23. The canvass being completed, duplicate certificates of the result shall be drawn up by the inspectors or clerk, containing in words written at full length the name of each person voted for, for each office, the number of votes cast for each person for such offices, which certificates shall be signed by the inspectors and clerk, and one of such certificates shall by one of their number be without delay delivered, securely sealed, to the clerk of the circuit court, and the other to the county judge of the county; and the poll list and oaths of the inspectors and clerks shall also be transmitted with the certificate to the clerk of the circuit court, to be filed in his office. COUNTY CANVASS. if the SEC. 24. On the sixth day after any election, or sooner, returns shall have been received, it shall be the duty of the county judge and clerk of the circuit court to meet at the office of said clerk, and take to their assistance a justice of the peace of the county, (and in case of the absence, sickness, or other disability of the county judge or clerk, the sheriff shall act in his place,) and shall publicly proceed to canvass the votes given for the several offices and persons, as shown by the returns on file in the office of such clerk or judge, and shall then make and sign duplicate certificates, containing in words and figures, written at full length, the whole number of votes given for each office, the names of the persons for whom such votes were given for such office, and the number of votes given to each person for such office. Such certificate shall be recorded by the clerk in a book to be kept by him for that purpose, and one of such duplicates shall be immediately transmitted by mail to the Secretary of State, and the other to the Governor of the State. SEC. 25. In case any county officer shall be elected at any election, the clerk shall give to the person who shall be elected May destroy ballots when. Returns how made. County Judge and Clerk. Canvass by Certificates of elections fur a certificate of his election; and the clerk shall give to any per- nished by clerk. son desiring a copy of such returns, from the record, a certified Time for mak certain coun ing returns in ties. copy thereof, or of such part thereof as may be desired, upon payment to him of the customary fees for copying and certifying papers in his office. SEC. 26. For the counties of Monroe, Orange, Dade, Brevard, and Manatee, in case the returns of the polls held in such counties shall not be received by the judge or clerk within six days after the close of an election, the canvass shall be [made] as soon thereafter as said returns shall be all received by the judge or clerk, and within twenty days after such election. SEC. 27. The person who shall receive the highest number of votes cast for any office shall be elected to such office. In case two or more persons shall receive an equal and the highest In case of tic. number of votes for any county office, the clerk of the circuit court shall immediately cause notice to be given to the persons so receiving such equal number of votes to appear at his office at some time to be named, within ten days after such canvass, to determine, by lot, which of such persons shall be entitled to such office; and on the day and hour so named, if such persons, or either of them, shall not attend, the clerk shall invite some disinterested elector to attend as his proxy, and the persons, or their proxies, shall determine by lot which of the persons so receiving an equal number of votes shall be entitled to said office; and the clerk shall give to the person so chosen a certificate of his election to said office, and shall record such proceedings in the records of elections. SEC. 28. On the first Tuesday next after the fourth Monday in November next after any general election, or sooner, if the returns shall have been received from the several counties, the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Comptroller, or any two of them, shall meet at the office of the Secretary of State, pursuant to notice to be given by the Secretary of State (or in his absence or inability to attend, by the Governor), and proceed to canvass the returns of such election, and determine who shall have been elected, by the highest number of votes, to any office, as shown by said returns. They shall make and sign a certificate containing, in words and figures written at full length, the whole number of votes given at such election for each office, the number of votes given for each person for each office, and designating who shall have been elected to each office, which certificate shall be recorded in the office of the Secretary of State in a book to be kept for that purpose, and the Secretary of State shall cause a certified copy of such certificate to be published in one or more newspapers printed at the seat of govern ment. SEC. 29. The Secretary of State shall make and transmit to each person chosen to any State office, immediately after the canvass, a certificate showing the number of votes cast for each |