LAWS SPECIALLY APPLICABLE

TO THE

CITY OF ST. LOUIS.

PRIMARIES-LAWS 1901.

SECTION I. 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 the registration of voters in cities in this state which now have, or which may hereafter have, over 300,000 inhabitants according to the last preceding census; (2) on the conduct of primary elections in such cities; (3) on party conventions in such cities, or for any political subdivision thereof; (4) on the choice in such cities, or in any political subdivision thereof, of the members of political committees.

SEC. 2. Definition and construction of act.-The terms used in this act shall, for the purpose of this act, have application as provided in this section, unless other meaning is clearly apparent from the language of the context or manifest intent. The term "general committee❞ shall apply to any committee chosen in pursuance hereof, or of the rules and regulations of a party, to represent the members of such party in any such city; and the term "committee" shall apply to any committee chosen in like manner to represent the members of a party in any political subdivision of such city. The term "convention" shall apply to any assemblage of delegates of a party in and for any such city, or in and for any political subdivision of such city, duly convened for the purposes of nominating candidates for public office, electing delegates to other conventions, electing members of political 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 such city, or in any political subdivision of such city, of delegates to a convention, or of party committeemen, or of candidates for public office, or to any such election upon any questions submitted to the vote of a party. The term "primary period" shall apply to the time intervening from the date of the election of state officers to the date of the next subsequent election of the same officers. The term "party" shall apply to any political organization which, at the last preceding election, polled at least 10,000 votes for governor, or for supreme judge if the governor was not elected at such election. No organization or association of citizens solely for the election of city officers shall be deemed a political

party within the meaning of this act, and membership in any such organi zation or association shall not prevent an elector from voting and acting as a member of a political party.

SEC. 3. Primary registration books to be prepared.-The election commissioners in all cities in this state to which this act is applicable, shall cause to be prepared, within ninety days after this act shall become a law and be in force, original primary registration books to the number of two for each election precinct. Such registration books shall be so arranged that the names of all the electors of the election precinct may be inscribed therein alphabetically; there shall be fourteen columns on each page; the first for the surnames of the electors; the second for the christian names of the electors; the third for their residence addresses; the fourth, fifth and six, for the words at the top of page, "Ist official," "2nd official," "3rd official," respectively, and over same the word “Democratic;" the seventh, eighth and ninth, for the words at the top of page, "Ist official," "2nd official," "3rd official," respectively, and over the same the word "Republican;" the tenth and eleventh for the word at the top of page "unofficial;" said last eight columns shall be of sufficient width to permit the word "voted" to be plainly written therein; the twelfth column shall be of sufficient width to permit the word "challenged" and date thereof to be plainly written therein; the thirteenth column shall have at top of page the words "oath administered;" and the fourteenth column shall be of sufficient width to permit the elector to plainly sign his full name.

SEC. 4. Form of registration sheet.-The form of each registration sheet in the primary registration books shall be as follows, viz.:

SEC. 5. Elector shall sign registration books. When an elector shall have been registered as a qualified voter in any precinct in such city, either at the office of the election commissioners, or in any such precinct on any day of precinct registration, his name and residence address shall be entered at the proper place by the election commissioners, or judges at precinct registration, in the two original primary registration books for that precinct, and such elector shall forthwith sign his name in the column provided therefor. In case an elector shall be unable to sign his name, he shall make his mark, and the same shall be evidence as like signatures are by law in sealed instruments. If an elector shall refuse to sign his name as above provided, his registration for primary purposes shall be deemed void, and the registration officer, or officers, shall forthwith strike his name from such primary books by running a red line with pen and ink through his name. Nothing herein, however, shall be construed to prevent such elector, being a qualified voter for other than primary purposes, from subsequently appearing before the proper registration officers, and, by complying with provisions above required, having his name duly registered in said primary books, and becoming an elector for primary purposes.

SEC. 6. Registration provided for.-No elector shall be permitted to vote at any primary election unless he be a registered voter in the precinct at the time he offers to vote, and at the time actually resides in such precinct at the number designated in his registration. If an elector shall be duly registered for primary purposes in an election precinct in such city, and shall thereafter move his residence out of such precinct to another precinct in the same city, said elector may, after he shall become a qualified voter of such last named precinct, have his primary registration changed to conform thereto, but if such re-registration is made at the office of the election commissioners, the officer making such re-registration shall forthwith strike the name of such elector from the primary books in which he was last before registered by running a red line through the same with pen and ink. If such re-registration for primary purposes be made by the judges on any day of precinct registration, said judges shall, over their proper signatures, certify to the re-registration of such elector, giving the ward, precinct and residence address from which he was last before registered in the primary books, on blanks provided therefor, and return the same in sealed envelopes, with the primary books to the office of the election commissioners, and the election commissioners shall forthwith cause the name of such elector to be stricken from the primary books in which he was last before registered by running a red line through the same with pen and ink. If an elector shall move from one place in a precinct to another place in the same precinct, he must re-register in the manner above provided before he can vote at any primary election.

SEC. 7. Registration suspended, when.-No primary election shall be held in any city in this state to which this act is applicable on any day of precinct registration, nor within five days preceding, or following, any such day. The election commissioners in any such city shall suspend all primary registration on the day of primary election, and during the five days preceding and following the same. Any elector who shall register and become a qualified voter in any precinct during any suspension of primary registration shall have the right to subsequently register for primary purposes by complying with the provisions of this act governing primary registration.

SEC. 8. Commissioners to attest registration books.-Within three days prior to any primary election held under the provisions of this act the election commissioners in such city shall certify, over their own proper signatures, in each of the two primary registration books, in each precinct in such city, or district, in which such primary is held, that the primary registration books for such precinct contain a full, complete, and correct list, alphabetically arranged, of all 'the electors in said precinct who are registered for primary purposes, and that all of said electors were duly registered, and are bona fide residents of such precinct, and as such, entitled to vote as they verily believe, and said certificate shall be attached to, and made a part of said primary registration books.

SEC. 9. Registration books delivered to judges, when.—The original primary registration books shall be used at all official primary elections, and shall be delivered by the election commissioners to the proper judges of primary election within twenty-four hours before the opening of the polls on each official primary day, and shall be returned by the judges to such election commissioners forthwith, after the completion of the canvass and count of the votes cast at such primary.

SEC. 10. Unofficial primary held, how.-Unofficial primary elections may be held by any political organization or association of citizens in any such city, and such organization or association shall have the right to use the primary registration books thereat, by duly notifying the election commissioners of such city of their wish to use said books, and in all respects complying with the provisions of this act governing the filing of delegations, and defraying the expense of such primary.

SEC. 11. Wards divided into primary election districts.—The election commissioners shall within thirty days after this act shall take effect and be in force, divide every ward in cities to which this act is applicable, into two primary election districts, each of which shall consist of two contiguous districts, composed of precincts lying compactly together, and, as nearly as may be, so that each primary district shall contain the same number of voters registerd for primary purposes. There shall be one polling place in each of such primary districts, which shall be designated and provided at public. expense by the election commissioners, and such polling place shall be, as nearly as may be, centrally located in such primary districts. Whenever the ward lines of any ward in such city shall be changed in any manner, said election commissioners shall, within thirty days after such change, again divide each of said wards so changed into two primary districts in the manner above provided.'

SEC. 12. Duties of political committees of commissioners.— Whenever the general committee representing a political party in any city to which this act is applicable, or the committee representing a district in such city, shall officially call a primary election, at which the electors belonging to such party in such city, or district, shall select; (1) delegates from the various wards in such city, or district, to any convention of such party to be held for the purpose of nominating a candidate, or candidates, for public office; (2) to nominate, by direct primary vote, a candidate, or candidates, for public office; (3) to select, either by direct vote, or through delegates elected at such primary, the represenative of the managing committee of such party from any district or ward in such city, the chairman of such committee shall certify and deliver to the election commissioners a statement of the conventions, committees, and offices for which delegates, members or candi