§ 342. Public inspection of ballots. Each officer or board charged with the duty of providing official ballots for any polling place, shall have sample ballots and official ballots provided, and in the possession of such officer or board, and open to public inspection as follows: The sample ballots five days before the election, and the official ballots four days before the election for which they are prepared, unless prepared for a village election or town meeting held at a different time from a general election, in which case the official *ballot shall be so printed and in possession at least one day, and the sample ballots at least two days, before such election or town meeting. During the times within which the same are open for inspection as aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the officer or board charged by law with the duty of preparing the same, to deliver a sample ballot of the kind to be voted in his district to each qualified elector who shall apply therefor, so that each elector who may desire the same may obtain a sample ballot similar, except as regards color and the number on the stub, to the official ballot to be voted at the polling place at which he is entitled to vote. § 343. Distribution of ballots and stationery. The board of elections of each county, except those counties which are wholly within the city of New York, shall deliver at its office to each town or city clerk in such county, except in New York city and in the city of Buffalo, on the Saturday before the election for which they are required, the official and sample ballots, cards of instruction and other stationery required to be provided for each polling place in such town or city for such election. It is hereby made the duty of each such town or city clerk to call at the office of such board of elections at such time and receive such ballots and stationery. In the cities of New York and Buffalo the board or officer required to provide such ballots and stationery shall cause them to be delivered to the board of inspectors of each election district at least one-half hour before the opening of the polls on each day of election. Each kind of official ballots shall be arranged in a package in the consecutive order of the numbers printed on the stubs thereof, beginning with number one. All official and sample ballots provided for such election shall be in separate scaled packages, clearly marked on the outside thereof with the number and kind of ballots contained therein and indorsed with the designation *So in original. of the election district for which they were prepared. The instruction cards and other stationery provided for each election district shall also be inclosed in a sealed package or packages, with a label on the outside thereof showing the contents of each such package. Each such town and city clerk receiving such packages shall cause all such packages so received and marked for any election district to be delivered unopened and with the seals thereof unbroken to the inspectors of election of such election district one-half hour before the opening of the polls of such election therein. The inspectors of election receiving such packages shall give to such town or city clerk, or board, delivering such packages a receipt therefor specifying the number and kind of packages received by them, which receipt shall be filed in the office of such clerk or board. Town, city and village clerks required to provide the same for town meetings, city and village elections held at different times from a general election, shall in like manner, deliver to the inspectors or presiding officers of the election at each polling place at which such meetings and elections are held, respectively, the official ballots, sample ballots, instruction cards and other stationery, required for such election or town meeting, respectively, in like sealed packages marked on the outside in like manner, and shall take and file receipts therefor in like manner in their respective offices. [Amended by chap. 537, Laws of 1916.] Upon § 344. Errors and omissions in ballots. affidavit, presented by any voter, that an error or omission has occurred in the publication of the names or description of the candidates nominated for office, or in the printing of sample or official ballots, the supreme court, or a justice thereof, may make an order requiring the board of elections or other officer or board charged with the duty in respect to which such error or cmission occurs to correct such error, or show cause why such error should not be corrected. The board of elections or such other officer or board shall, upon his own motion, correct without delay any patent error in the ballots which they may discover, or which shall be brought to their attention, and which can be corrected without interfering with the timely distribution of the ballots to the inspectors for use at such election. [Amended by chap. 537, Laws of 1916.] $345. Unofficial ballots. If the official ballots required to be furnished to any town or city clerk, or board, shall not be delivered at the time required, or if after delivery shall be lost, destroyed or stolen, the clerk of such town or city, or such board, shall cause other ballots to be prepared as nearly in the form of the official ballots as practicable, but without the indorsement, and upon the receipt of ballots so prepared from such clerk or board, accompanied by a statement under oath that the same have been so prepared and furnished by him or them, and that the official ballots have not been so delivered, or have been so lost, destroyed or stolen, the inspectors of election shall cause the ballots so substituted to be used at the election in the same manner, as near as may be, as the official ballots. Such ballots so substituted shall be known as unofficial ballots. 1 ARTICLE 10 Conduct of Elections and Canvass of Votes Section 350. Opening the polls. 351. Persons within the guard-rail. 352. Watchers; challengers; electioneering. 354. General duties of ballot clerks. 355. General duties of poll clerks. 356. Delivery of ballots to voters. 357. Assistance to disabled or illiterate voters. 359. Manner of voting. 360. When unofficial ballots may be voted. 361. Challenges. 362. Preliminary oath. 363. General oath and additional oaths. 364. Record of persons challenged. 365. Time allowed employees to vote. 366. Canvass of votes; preparation for canvass. 368. Method of canvassing. 369. Objections to the counting; disposal of ballots. 370. Proving the tallies. 371. General provisions as to canvass. 372. Statement of canvass to be delivered to police. 1 As renumbered by chap. 800, Laws of 1913. Section 374. Preservation of ballots. 375. Proclamation of result. 376. Sealing statements. 377. Delivery and filing of papers relating to the election; general provisions. 378. Delivery and filing of papers in the city of New York. 379. Additional requirements in the metropolitan elections district. 380. Delivery and filing of papers in the county of Erie. 381. Judicial investigation of ballots. § 350. Opening the polls. The inspectors of election, poll clerks and ballot clerks of each election district shall meet at the polling place therein at least one-half hour before the time set for opening the polls at each election for which official ballots are required to be provided, and shall proceed to arrange the space within the guard-rail and the furniture thereof, including the voting booths, for the orderly and legal conduct of the election. The inspectors of election shall then and there have the ballot boxes required by law for the reception of ballots to be voted thereat; the box for the reception of ballots found to be defective in printing or mutilated before delivery to, and ballots spoiled and returned by, voters; the box for the stubs of voted and spoiled ballots; the sealed packages of official ballots, sample ballots and instruction cards and distance markers, poll books, tally sheets, return blanks and other stationery required to be delivered to them for such election; and if it be an election at which registered voters only can vote, the register of such voters required to be made and kept therefor. The inspectors shall thereupon open the sealed packages of instruction cards and cause them to be posted conspicuously, at least one, and if printed in different languages, at least one of each language, in each of the voting booths of such polling place, and at least three of each language in which they are printed in or about the polling place; shall open the sealed packages of official ballots and sample ballots, and place them in charge of the ballot clerks, and shall place the poll books in charge of the poll clerks, and shall cause to be placed at a distance of one hundred feet from the polling place the visible markers designated herein as 17 Section repealed by chap. 649, Laws of 1911. "distance markers," to prohibit "loitering or electioneering within such distance. They shall also, before any ballots are cast, see that the voting booths are supplied with pencils having black lead only, unlock the ballot boxes, see that they are empty, allow the watchers present to examine them, and shall lock them up again while empty in such manner that the watchers present and persons just outside the guard-rail can see that such boxes are empty when they are relocked. After such boxes are so relocked they shall not be unlocked or opened until the closing of the polls of such election, and, except as authorized by law, no ballots or other matter shall be placed in them after they are so relocked and before the announcement of the result of such canvass and the signing of the original statement of canvass and the two certified copies thereof. The instruction cards and distance markers posted as provided by law shall not be taken down, torn or defaced during such election. The ballot clerks with the official and sample ballots, the inspectors with such boxes and register of voters, and the poll clerks with their poll books, shall be stationed as near each other as practicable within such inclosed space. One of the inspectors shall then make proclamation that the polls of the election are open, and of the time in the afternoon when the polls will be closed. § 351. Persons within the guard-rail. From the time of the opening of the polls until the announcement of the result of the canvass of the votes cast thereat, and the signing of the official returns of such canvass and the copies thereof, the boxes and all official ballots shall be kept within the guard-rail. No person shall be admitted within the guardrail during such period, except inspectors, poll clerks, ballot clerks, duly authorized watchers, persons admitted by the inspectors to preserve order or enforce the law, and persons duly admitted for the purpose of voting; provided, however, that candidates for public office voted for at such polling place may be present at the canvass of the votes. § 352. Watchers; challengers; electioneering. Each political party or independent body duly filing certificates of nomination of candidates for offices to be filled at any such election, may, by a writing signed by the duly authorized county, city, town or village committee of such political party or independent body, or by the chairman or secretary thereof charged with that duty, and delivered to and filed with one of the inspectors of election, appoint |