How filled.

the proceedings of said Board and preserved among the records. Said board shall elect one of its members chairman, who shall preside at its meetings; it shall appoint a Secretary who shall hold office during the pleasure of the Board. The Board shall prescribe the duties of the Secretary and fix his compensation, which shall not exceed two hundred and fifty dollars per annum. The Board shall keep a record of its acts, orders, findings, judgments and all of its proceedings. A majority of said Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business of the Board, and a majority of said board may make any order, finding, judgment, or do any act or thing that the Board is authorized or empowered to make vacancy or do. If a vacancy occurs in said Board whilst the General Assembly is in session, said vacancy shall be filled by election by the General Assembly. If a vacancy or vacancies occur in said Board whilst the General Assembly is in vacation, the same shall be filled by appointment by the remaining member or members of said Board. Resignations from said Board shall be in writing, directed to the Board and filed among the records thereof.

To appoint County Commissioner.

§ 2. Said State Board of Election Commissioners shall annually, not later than the month of September, appoint three election commissioners for each county in this Commonwealth, who shall be styled the "County Board of Election Commissioners;" such County Election Commissioners shall be citizens and electors of the county for which they are appointed, and shall not be less than twenty-five years old. Before entering upon the duties of their office, they shall qualify by taking before some offi

cer authorized by law to administer oaths, an oath faithfully to discharge their duties as such Commissioners according to law. The officer administering such oath shall make a certificate thereof, which shall be filed in the office of the County Court Clerk of the county. Said Board shall elect one of its members chairman, who shall preside at its meetings. A majority of such Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business of the Board, for the doing of any act or thing that the Board may do, and the making of any order, finding, or judgment of the Board. Any member of such County Board may be at any time removed from office by the State Board of Election Commissioners. All vacancies in such county Boards shall be filled by said State Board, but until such vacancy or vacancies be filled by appointment by said State Board any vacancy or vacancies in any such county Board may be temporarily filled by appointment by the remaining members, or member of such county Board. Said county Board shall keep a record of its proceedings, which shall be a public record, and be kept in the office of the county court clerk.

to appoint elec

§ 3. Said County Board shall annually not later county Board than the month of October, appoint for each election tion officers. precinct in the county, two judges, one clerk, and one sheriff of election, to act as such in their precinct, all of whom shall be discreet, qualified voters of the precinct for which they are appointed, and shall hold their offices until their successors are appointed and qualified; and so long as there are two distinct political parties in this Commonwealth, the judges, clerk and sheriff of election, in all elections by the people,

under the Constitution and laws of the United States, and under the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, shall be so selected and appointed as that one of the judges at each place of voting shall be of one political party, and the other judge of a different party; and there shall be the like difference at each voting place between the sheriff and clerk of election: Provided, That there be a sufficient number of qualified persons of each political party resident in the precinct with which to fill said offices. No person shall be eligible as an officer of election who has not been a resident householder in the precinct for which he is appointed for not less than one year next preceding his appointment, or who has anything of value bet or wagered on the result of such election, or who is a candidate to be voted for at such election, or who is not capable of reading the Constitution of the Commonwealth in English, and of writing a plain and legible hand. It shall be the duty of said County Board of Election Commissioners to test all such election officers as to their qualifications before appointment. If at any time before an election it shall be made to appear to the County Board of Election Commissioners by the affidavit of two or more qualified voters of the precinct, or other evidence, that any election officer is disqualified under the provisions of this Act then said County Board shall investigate said matter and determine whether such officer is disqualified, (and such a decision shall be final); and if he be found disqualified such officer shall be removed from office and a qualified person of the same political party as the officer removed shall thereupon be appointed in his stead. Said County Board of Election Commis

election offi

cers.

sioners may at any time remove from office any elec- May remove tion officer and fill the vacancy thus occasioned. And said County Board may at any time fill any vacancy in the office of election officer. The County Board of Election Commissioners shall give due notice of said appointment of election officers to the sheriff of the county, who shall, at least ten days before the next ensuing election, give each judge, clerk and sheriff written notice of his appointment.

§ 4. Should the County Board of Election Commissioners fail to appoint such officers of election, or either of said officers fail to attend for thirty minutes after the time for commencing the election, or refuse to act, the officers in attendance shall appoint a suitable person or persons to act in his or their stead for that election. If none of said officers shall appear, as herein required, the qualified voters present shall elect the officers of election viva voce, as nearly as possible in conformity with the provisions of this Act, who shall serve as such officers. Each officer of election shall before entering upon the duties of his office, take an oath faithfully to discharge his duties, as such officer, before some person authorized to administer an oath, or if no such officer be present, it may be administered by the clerk of the election, who in turn shall be sworn by one of the judges of election.

Canvassing

§ 5. Said County Board of Election Commissioners Board. shall constitute a Board for examining and canvassing the election returns of each county, and awarding and issuing certificates of election. Any two of the members of said Board may constitute the Board, but if either be a candidate, he shall have no

voice in the decision of his own case. If from any cause, two of the members of the Board can not act, in whole or in part, in examining and canvassing the returns, their places shall be supplied as in case of vacancies in such Board. Within two days next after an election, the sheriff shall deposit with the clerk of the county court, the returns from the different precincts. On the next day the said County Board of Election Commissioners shall meet in the clerk's office, between ten and twelve o'clock in the morning, open and canvass the returns of such election, and give a triplicate or more written certificates of election, over their signatures, of those who have received the highest number of votes for any office exclusively, within the gift of the voters of the county, one copy of the certificate to be retained in the clerk's office, another delivered to each of the persons elected, and the other forwarded by the county clerk to the Secretary of State at the seat of government. For offices not within such gift, they shall give duplicate or more written certificates, over their signatures, of the number of votes given in the county, city, town, district or precinct, particularizing therein the precinct at which the votes were given, one copy to be retained in the clerk's office, one delivered to the sheriff, and one, in case of municipal or district election, to the common council of said municipality or governing authority of such district. The poll books shall thereafter remain in the clerk's office as parts of its records; so, also, shall the certificates of any precinct judges which may have been used in the absence of the poll book of that precinct.