PRIMARY ELECTION LAW. L. 1898, Chap. 179.— An Act in relation to Enrollment for Political Parties, Primary Elections, Conventions, and Political Committees. [The whole of the above act was amended by chap. 473, Laws of 1899, to read as follows.] Section 1. Short title and application of act.- The short title of this act shall be the " Primary Election Law." Except as otherwise herein provided, it shall be controlling; (1) on the methods of enrolling the voters of a party in cities and in villages having five thousand inhabitants or more, according to the last preceding state enumeration of inhabitants; (2) on primary elections in such cities and villages; (3) on party conventions in and for any political subdivision of the state, made up wholly or partly of delegates elected in any such city or any such village; (4) on the choice, in such cities and such villages, of the members of political committees and on the conduct of political committees, in and for any political subdivision of the state, made up wholly or partly of members from any such city or village. Provided that in case territory to which this act is not applicable shall at any time become incorporated with a city or village to which it shall then be applicable, only the provisions of subdivision one of section three of this act shall apply to such new territory prior to first day of reg istration thereafter. § 2. Definitions and construction of act. The terms used in this act shall, for the purposes of this act, have application as provided in this section, unless other meaning is clearly apparent from the language or context, or manifest intent. The term committee" shall apply to any committee chosen in pursuance hereof, or of the rules and regulations of a party, to represent the members of the party in any political subdivision of the state. The term "general committee" shall apply to the county committees in the various counties of this state in which are located any of the cities or villages to which this act is applicable, and in the city of New York to the county committee, the city committee, if any, and such borough committees as may be established by any party. The term "convention" shall apply to any assemblage of delegates of a party, in and for any political subdivision of the state, duly convened for the purpose of nominating candidates for public office, electing delegates to other conventions, electing members of politi cal committees, or transacting any other business relating to the affairs of a party. The term "primary election" shall apply to any election by the members of a party duly convened in any politi cal subdivision of the state to which this act is applicable, of delegates to a convention, or of party committeemen, or of candidates for public office, or to any such election upon any question submitted to the vote of a party. The term "unit of representation shall apply to an election district, a ward of a city, an assembly district, a congressional district, a senatorial district, or any other political subdivision of the state which, by the rules and regula tions of a party, may be the unit from which members of any political convention or committee to which this act is applicable, shall be chosen. The term "custodian of primary records "shall apply to those officers or boards whose duty it is, by the provisions of the election law, to provide official ballots for general elections in the respective cities and villages to which this act is applicable. The term "party" shall apply to any political organization which, at the last preceding election of a governor, polled at least ten thou sand votes for governor. No organization or association of citizens for the election of city officers shall be deemed a political party within the meaning of this act, and membership in any such organization or association shall not prevent an elector from enrolling with, and acting as a member of a political party. § 3. Subdivision 1. The custodian of primary records shall cause to be prepared on or before the fifteenth day of September in each year, original enrollment books to the number of two for each election district. Such enrollment books shall be so arranged that the names of all electors of the election district may be inscribed therein alphabetically. In cities of the first class con taining a population of over three hundred thousand and less than five hundred thousand and cities of the third class to which this act is made applicable pursuant to section fourteen such enrollment books shall be so arranged and printed that there shall be fourteen columns on each page; the first for the enrollment number of the electors; the second for the surnames of the electors; the third for the Christian names of the electors; the fourth for their residence addresses; the fifth for the word "yes" the sixth for the name of the party, if any, with which the elector shall enroll; the seventh for an entry to show a special enrollment; the eighth for the record of transfer or removal from one election district to another; the ninth for the word "voted " in case the elector votes at the first official primary election of the year; the tenth for a record as to challenges in case he is challenged thercat; the eleventh and twelfth columns for similar entries in case he votes at the second official primary election; and the thirteenth and fourteenth columns for similar entries in case there be a third official primary election or unofficial primary elections. The enrollment books prepared for election districts within a city of the first or second class except as herein before provided, shall be so arranged and printed that there shall be twelve columns on each page; the first for the enrollment number of the electors; the second for the surnames of the electors; third, for the Christian names of the electors; the fourth for their residence addresses; the fifth for the word "yes;" the sixth for the name of the party, if any, with which the elector shall enroll; the seventh for the word "voted" in case the elector votes at the first official primary election of the year; the eighth for a record as to challenges in case he is challenged the reat; the ninth and tenth columns for similar entries in case he votes at the second official primary election; and the eleventh and twelfth columns for similar entries in case there be a third official primary election or unofficial primary elections. books shall be delivered by the custodian of primary records to the election inspectors of the respective election districts immediately before the first day of. registration in each year. The custodian of primary records shall cause at least two voting booths of the same kind and description as voting booths used at general elections, to be erected in each place of registration. Said before the first day of registration in each year, and such booths shall be and remain in said places of registration during the registration at the four regular meetings for registration during that year; and it shall be the duty of the custodian of primary records to furnish in each voting booth so erceted the same articles which are required by law to be placed therein, for a general election, which articles shall remain therein during such registration. He shall also provide in like manner one ballot box in each place of registration of sufficient capacity to hold all the enrollment blanks and envelopes which are to be furnished for such place of registration, and which shall be of the kind prescribed by law to be used at a general election. There shall also be prepared and distributed by the custodian of primary records in the manner and at public expense as provided in the election law for the furnishing of official ballots, such a number of enrollment blanks and envelopes for each election district to the primary elections of which this act is applicable, as will exceed by two hundred the total number of electors registered in such district at the last preceding general election. The enrollment blanks shall be printed on white paper, and on the face thereof shall be printed the following, or the substance thereof, the blanks to be filled in in type so far as possible: Primary enrollment for the year... district; I, ... ; county of assembly district (or ward); enrollment number Name of elector... election who have placed a mark underneath the party emblem hereunder of my choice, do solemnly declare that I have this day registered as a voter for the next ensuing election, and that I am a qualified voter of the election district in which I have so registered, and that my residence address is as stated by me at the time I so registered; that I am in general sympathy with the principles of the party which I have designated by my mark hereunder; that it is my intention to support generally at the next general election, state or national, the nominees of such party for state or national offices; and that I have not enrolled with or participated in any primary clection or convention of any other party since the first day of last year. The word party as used herein means a political organization which at the last preceding election of a governor, polled at least ten thousand Make a cross (X) mark, with a pencil having black lead, in the circle under the emblem of the party with which you wish to enroll, for the purpose of participating in its primary elections during the next year. The circles underneath the emblems. shall be one inch in diameter, and in them nothing shall be printed. The party emblems shall be the same which were on the ballots for each party respectively at the last preceding general election, and such emblems shall be so arranged on each blank that the emblem of the majority party at the last preceding general election of a governor shall be first, and the other emblems shall follow in order in accordance with the vote cast for such office at such election; over each emblem shall be printed, in type clearly legible, the name of the party represented by such emblem. The enrollment blanks shall have thereon only the emblems of those parties to which this act is applicable and shall be distributed enclosed within the enrollment envelopes having corresponding enrollment numbers. The enrollment envelopes shall be of such size as to permit enclosure therein, without folding, of the enrollment blank, and of such weight and texture of paper as to make it impossible to read or decipher the printed matter on the blank when the same is sealed on the inside thereof. Nothing shall be printed or written upon the enrollment envelopes except the following words, or the substance thereof, blanks to be filled in in type as far as possible. Primary enrollment for year. City (or village) of ; county of election district. .. assembly district (or ward); (Thus amended by chap. 456, Laws of 1908.) |