spread upon the assessment-rolls of the taxable property in the several towns or other political subdivisions of the rest of the county the amount so certified by said board of elections to be borne by the said towns or political subdivisions respectively. [As amended by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] § 201. Disposition of registers and unused ballots. The board of elections of the city of New York is hereby authorized and directed, not less than two years after each election, to sell or destroy all registers of voters in the possession of such board; provided, that one copy of such register of voters for each election district shall be excepted and preserved by such board from such sale or destruction. The board of elections is also authorized to sell to the highest bidder the unused ballots furnished for the last preceding election, but such unused ballots shall not be sold until at least six months after the election for which they were provided. All moneys realized by sales under this section shall be paid over to the proper fiscal officer of the city of New York to the credit of the account of the board of elections. § 202. Custodian of primary records. The board of elections shall be the custodian of primary records for each political subdivision for which such board is appointed. The board of elections for New York city shall also be the custodian of primary records for the several counties in said city. [Added by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] § 203. Official seal. Each board of elections is hereby authorized to adopt an official seal which shall be provided at the expense of the city or county for which said board of elections is appointed, and shall cause a description of said seal with impressions from it to be filed in the office of the county clerk of said county and of the secretary of state. Such description of the official seal of the board of elections of New York city shall be filed in the office of the county clerk of each county in said city. [Added by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] § 204. Filing statement of canvass, tally sheets and poll-books. All statements of canvass, tally sheets and pollbooks, void and protested ballots, and any and all other packages and documents required by law to be filed by the inspectors, except certified copies of statements of canvass, ballot lists and tally sheets which are required by law to be filed with the count? clerk shall be filed with the board of elections of said county or, in the city of New York, with the board of elections of said city. In the city of New York the said statements, documents and packages shall be filed in the branch office in each borough. [Added by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] § 205. Notices. All notices of elections to which this chapter applies which are required by law to be published, advertised or posted in any county or any political subdivision thereof or therein shall be published, advertised or posted by the custodian of primary records of said county or of the city of New York. [Added by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] § 206. Transfer of records; devolution of powers. All books, documents, papers, records and election appliances or appurtenances held or used by or under the control of any officer or officers of any county or of any political subdivision thereof or therein, relating to or used in the conduct of general, special or primary elections, shall upon the request of the board of elections hereby created be transferred to the care, custody and control of such board of elections; and the said board of elections in any such county shall be charged with the duty of performing each, every and all of the duties which now devolve upon the county clerk or commissioner of elections of said county, relating to elections, excepting that the county clerk of each county shall continue to be the secretary of the board of county canvassers. In the city of New York the board of elections hereby created shall continue to exercise the same powers and duties as are now exercised by the board of elections in said city, excepting as may be provided for in this chapter. All books, documents, papers, records and election appliances held or used by any commissioner or commissioners of election, in any county whose powers and duties are terminated by the repeal of any provision of this chapter shall be immediately transferred to the board of elections for such county. [Added by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] § 207. Office hours, rules and regulations of boards of elections. The offices of each board of elections shall be public and open during every business day of the year. The board of elections in each county shall designate the hours when said offices shall open and close. Each board of elections may adopt its own rules and regulations for the transaction of its business. [Added by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] § 208. All records to be public; records of transactions of the boards of elections. All the records in the office of the board of elections shall be public and open for inspection by any citizen of the state of New York during the hours when the said office shall be open, and the said board of elections shall provide ample and sufficient facilities for keeping said records and making copies of the same. Each board of elections shall keep a record of its proceedings, which shall be public and transcribed in a book or books within twenty-four hours after the adjournment of said board. Minutes of all meetings of the board of elections shall show how each commissioner of elections voted upon any resolution or motion proposed at said meeting of the board. [Added by chap. 649, Laws of 1911.] 1ARTICLE 8 Times, Places, Notices, Officers and Expenses of Elections Section 290. Date of general election. 291. Time of opening and closing polls. 294. Notice of submission of proposed constitutional 297. Abolition, consolidation or changing of election districts in towns. 298. Maps and certificates of boundaries of election dis tricts. 299. Designation of places for registry and voting. 300. Equipment of polling places. 300-a. 16Display of American flag. 301. Publication of list of registration and polling places. 302. Election officers; designation, number and qualifications. 1 As renumbered by chap. 800, Laws of 1913. 16 New section added by chap. 783, Laws of 1913. Section 303. Appointment of election officers in cities. 304. Authentication of party lists. 305. Examination as to qualifications. 306. Party election in the city of New York. 308. Removals; vacancies; transfers. 309. Certificates of service; exemption from jury duty; payment. 310. Special penalties. 311. Appointment of inspectors of election in towns. 312. Appointment of poll clerks and ballot clerks in towns. 313. Supplying vacancies and absences. 314. Organization of boards of inspectors. 317. Voting booths and guard-rails. 318. Apportionment of election expenses. 319. Fees of election officers and others. 320. Delivery of election laws to clerks, boards and election officers. § 290. Date of general election. A general election shall be held annually on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday in November. § 291. Time of opening and closing polls. The polls of every general election, and, unless otherwise provided by law, of every other election shall be opened at six o'clock in the forenoon and shall close at five o'clock in the afternoon. There shall be no adjournment or intermission until the polls are closed. Electors entitled to vote who are in the polling place at or before five o'clock in the afternoon shall be allowed to vote. [As amended by chap. 649, Laws of 1911, and chap. 820, Laws of 1913.] § 292. Filling vacancies in elective offices. A vacancy occurring before October fifteenth of any year in any office authorized to be filled at a general election, shall be filled at the general election held next thereafter, unless otherwise provided by the constitution, or unless previously filled at a special election. Upon the failure to elect to any office, except that of governor or lieutenantgovernor, at a general or special election, at which such office is authorized to be filled, or upon the death or disqualification of a person elected to office before the commencement of his official term, or upon the occurrence of a vacancy in any elective office which can not be filled by appointment for a period extending to or beyond the next general election at which a person may be elected thereto, the governor may in his discretion make proclamation of a special election to fill such office, specifying the district or county in which the election is to be held, and the day thereof, which shall be not less than thirty nor more than forty days from the date of the proclamation. A special election shall not be held to fill a vacancy in the office of a representative in congress unless such vacancy occurs on or before the first day of July of the last year of the term of office, or unless it occurs thereafter and a special session of congress is called to meet before the next general election, or be called after October fourteenth of such year; nor to fill a vacancy in the office of state senator, unless the vacancy occurs before the first day of April of the last year of the term of office; nor to fill a vacancy in the office of a member of assembly, unless occurring before the first day of April in any year, unless the vacancy occurs in either such office of senator or member of assembly after such first day of April and a special session of the legislature be called to meet between such first day of April and the next general election or be called after October fourteenth in such year. If a special election to fill an office shall not be held as required by law, the office shall be filled at the next general election. [As amended by chap. 891, Laws of 1911.] § 293. Notices of elections. The secretary of state shall, at least two months before each general election, make and transmit to the custodian of primary records a notice under his hand and official seal, stating the day upon which such election shall be held, and stating each officer, except city, village and town officers, who may be lawfully voted for at such election by the electors of such county or any part thereof. If any such officer is to be elected to fill a vacancy, the notice shall so state. The secretary of state shall forthwith, upon the filing in his office of the governor's proclamation ordering a special election, make and transmit to the custodian of primary records, a like notice of the officers to be voted for at such special election in such county or city or any part thereof, and cause such proclamation to be published in the newspapers published in such county having large |