Compensation for other services.

(327) § 2375. SEC. 96. For services not otherwise provided for by law, rendered to townships by township officers in the duties of their respective offices, the township board shall audit and allow such compensation as they shall deem reasonable.

Sawyer v. Goodman Co. v. Crystal Falls Twp., 56/597.

Moderator of township meeting.

Powers and duties of moderator.

Idem.

Disorderly conduct at township meetings.

Penalty for disregarding order of moderator.

TOWNSHIP BUSINESS OTHER THAN ELECTIONS.

(328) § 2376. SEC. 97. In the transaction of any business other than the election of officers in any township meeting, the supervisor, if present, shall be the moderator of the meeting; and if he shall not be present, any other of the inspectors of election, except the clerk, who shall be designated by the inspectors present, shall be the moderator; or the meeting, under the direction of the inspectors present, may elect viva voce, a moderator of the meeting.

(329) § 2377. SEC. 98. The moderator shall preside in, and regulate the proceedings of the meeting; he shall decide all questions of order, and make public declaration of all votes passed; and when any vote so declared by him shall immediately upon such declaration be questioned by seven or more of the voters, he shall make the vote certain by polling the voters, or dividing the meeting, unless the township shall, by a previous vote, or by their by-laws, have otherwise provided.

(330) § 2378. SEC. 99. No person shall address the meeting before permission obtained of the moderator, nor while any other person is speaking by his permission; and all persons at such meeting shall be silent at the request of the moderator.

(331) § 2379. SEC. 100. If, at any township meeting any person shall conduct himself in a disorderly manner, and, after notice from the moderator shall persist therein, the moderator may order him to withdraw from the meeting, and on his refusal, may order the constables, or any other persons to take him into custody until the meeting be adjourned.

(332) § 2380. SEC. 101. Any person who shall refuse to withdraw from such meeting, on being ordered by the moderator to do so, as provided in the preceding section, shall, for every such offense, forfeit a sum not exceeding twenty dollars.

Who may vote, challenges.

QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS AND OFFICERS.

(333) § 2381. SEC. 102. Each inhabitant of any township, having the qualifications of an elector, as specified in the constitution of this State, and no other person, shall have a right to vote on all matters and questions before any township meeting, and when any person claiming the right to

vote shall be challenged by a voter, the moderator shall proceed in the same manner as on challenges at the election of township officers.

Mudge v. Stebbins, 59 / 165.

(334) § 2382. SEC. 103. No person except a citizen of Who shall be eligible to hold the United States and an elector as aforesaid shall be eligible office. to any elective office contemplated in this chapter: Provided, however, That any female person of or above the age of twenty-one years, who has resided in this State six months and in the township twenty days next preceding any election, shall be eligible to the office of school inspector.

FIRST ELECTIONS IN TOWNSHIPS.

[Extract from Act 156 of 1851.]

and organiza

board of

fixing town

(335) § 2489. SEC. 16. Whenever the board of super- Proceedings visors shall erect a new township in any county, they shall tion of new designate the name thereof, the time and place of holding the township by first annual township meeting therein, and three electors of supervisors. such township, whose duty it shall be to preside at such meeting, appoint a clerk, open and keep the polls, and exercise the same powers as the inspectors of election at any township meeting. And in case any of the three electors above mentioned shall refuse or neglect to serve, the electors of said township present at such meeting shall have power to substitute some other elector of such township for each one so neglecting or refusing to serve. Notice of the time and place Notice of of such meeting, signed by the chairman or clerk of the board ship meeting. of supervisors, shall be posted in four of the most public places in such new township, by the persons so designated to preside at such meeting, or by some person appointed by such board of supervisors for that purpose, and in each of the townships whose boundaries may have been altered by the erection of such new township, at least fourteen days before holding the same. They shall also fix the place for holding Place of holding first townthe first township meetings in the town or towns from which ship meeting. such new township shall be taken, which shall also be stated in the notice posted in such last named township; but nothing in this act shall affect the rights, or abridge or enlarge the term of office of any town officer except justice of the peace, in any such township; but such township officer other than justice of the peace, residing within the limits of such new township, shall continue to be such officer in such new township, till the expiration of the time for which he was elected, in the same manner as if originally elected therein; and the terms of office of all township officers except justices of the peace elected at such first township meeting, shall expire on the first Monday of April thereafter, or as soon thereafter as their successors are elected and qualified.

Att'y Gen. v. Marr, 55 / 445.

Punishment of

officers for wil

duty.

CHAPTER VIII.-OFFENSES AGAINST ELECTION

LAWS.

PENALTIES.

[R. S. 1846, Chap. 19.]

(336) § 11437. SECTION 1. If any officer on whom any ful neglect of duty is enjoined by law, relative to general, special, township, or charter elections, or the canvassing or return of votes given at any election, shall be guilty of any wilful neglect of such duty, or of any corrupt conduct in the execution of the same, he shall, on conviction thereof, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or imprisonment in the State prison not exceeding three years.

Punishment for bribing an elector, etc.

Punishment for illegal voting.

Penalty for counseling, etc., any person not qualified to vote.

(337) § 11438. SEC. 2. If any person shall, by bribery, menace, or any other corrupt means or device whatever, either directly or indirectly, attempt to influence any elector in giving his vote, or deter him from, or interrupt him in giving the same, at any election held pursuant to the provisions of law, such person shall on conviction thereof, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or both, in the discretion of the court.

(338) § 11439. SEC. 3. Every person not a qualified voter, who shall, at any election, wilfully give in a vote for any officer then to be chosen; and every qualified voter who, at such election, shall vote or offer to vote in any township or ward in which he does not reside, or who shall vote or offer to vote more than once at the same election, either in the same or any other township or ward, or shall give in two or more votes folded together, shall, on conviction thereof, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or both, in the discretion of the court.

(339) § 11440. SEC. 4. Every person who shall procure, aid or counsel any person not duly qualified to vote at the place where the vote is given or offered, to give or offer his vote at any such election, and every person who shall procure, aid, or counsel any person to go or come into any township or ward for the purpose of voting therein, at any election, knowing that such person is not duly qualified to vote in such township or ward, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof, shall be punished in the manner prescribed in the third section of this chapter.

McDade v. People, 29/55.

for violation

(340) § 11441. SEC. 5. Any person not duly authorized Punishment by law, who shall, during the progress of any election in this of ballot box, State, or after the closing of the polls, and before the ballots etc. are counted, and the result ascertained, break open, or violate the seals or locks of any ballot box in which ballots have been deposited at such election, or who shall obtain undue possession of such ballot box containing such ballots, and conceal, withhold or destroy the same, or who shall fraudulently or forcibly add to or diminish the number of ballots legally deposited, and all persons aiding or abetting therein, shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the State prison for a term not exceeding ten years, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.

Drennan v. People, 10/173.

sheriff, etc.

(341). § 11442. SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of every in- Duty of spector of elections, sheriff, constable, and justice of the peace, knowing, or having reason to believe that an offense punishable under the provisions of this chapter, has been committed, to cause the offender forthwith to be arrested, and to give information thereof to the prosecuting attorney without delay, and such prosecuting attorney shall adopt effectual measures for the punishment of all persons who shall violate the provisions of this chapter.

jury.

(342) § 11443. SEC. 7. It shall be the duty of all courts Courts to in this State, having cognizance of such offenses, at each term charge grand thereof to charge the grand jury to make presentment of all offenses committed within their respective counties, against any of the provisions of this chapter.

BETTING UPON ELECTIONS.

An Act to preserve the purity of elections.

[Act 172 of 1861.]

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

"betting on

(343) § 11444. SECTION 1. That any person who shall, Penalty for either directly or indirectly, bet, wager, or hazard any money election. or other property, upon the result of the election of any officer of this State, or of the United States, shall, on conviction thereof, be liable to a fine at least equal in amount to the amount of money or the value of the property so bet, wagered or hazardęd: Provided, That in no case shall such fine be less than five, nor more than five hundred dollars.

Buckley v. Saxe, 10/328.

BETTING UPON NOMINATIONS.

An Act to prevent betting upon the result of any political nomination, appointment or election.

[Act 175 of 1877.]

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

(344) § 11445. SECTION 1. That any person who shall keep any room or building for the purpose, in part or in whole, of recording or registering bets or wagers, or of selling pools upon the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election, and any person who shall record or register bets or wagers or sell pools on such result, or any person who shall wager any property, money, or thing exceeding one hundred dollars in value on such result, or shall keep or employ any device or apparatus for the purpose of registering or recording bets or wagers, or the selling of such pools, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall on [upon] conviction thereof be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not more than one year, or by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(345) § 11446. SEC. 2. Any person who shall wager any property, money or thing not exceeding one hundred dollars in value, or shall become the custodian or depository of any money, property, or thing of value, staked, wagered, or pledged, upon the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not more than three months, or by fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Persons deemed guilty of bribery.

BRIBERY.

An Act to maintain political purity.

[Act 190 of 1877.]

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

(346) § 11447. SECTION 1. That the following persons shall be guilty of bribery, and shall be punished accordingly: First, Every person who shall, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, give, lend or agree to give or lend, or shall offer or promise any money or valuable consideration or promise or endeavor to procure any money or valuable consideration to or for any voter, or to