SEC. 5. In the city of Newport, separate lists of the voters in Where in Neweach ward shall be made out by the mayor and aldermen, and the port, and transfer in Provilists for each ward shall be posted up in some public place in the dence and ward, and in the office of the city clerk, and the boards of canvassers Newport. in the city of Providence, and the board of canvassers in the city of Newport, shall transfer the names of electors who have removed from one ward into another, to the voting list of the ward in which they reside at the time of canvassing such lists.

SEC. 6. Separate lists of the voters in each of the districts in any Where in towns town which is or may be divided into voting districts, shall be made divided into out by the town councils of such towns, and the lists for each district voting disshall be posted up in one or more public places in each of the said districts, and in the town clerk's office.

tricts.

SEC. 7. Every person who shall take down, deface, or destroy any Penalty for delist of voters posted up as aforesaid, shall be fined three hundred dol- facing, &c., lars, or be imprisoned three calendar months.

SEC. 8. On or before the third Monday of March in every year, the boards of canvassers of the several towns not divided into voting districts, and of the several wards of the city of Providence, shall be in session at some convenient place for a reasonable time, in their respective towns and wards, for the purpose of correcting such lists; and the notice of the time or times, and place or places, of holding said sessions, shall be given by the boards of canvassers upon the lists posted up as aforesaid.

lists.

Of correction of lists, &c., and of notice

thereof.

SEC. 9. Within two days after the correction of the lists as afore- Of posting up said, such corrections shall be, by the several town and ward clerks, corrected lists. entered upon such lists so posted, or other lists shall be corrected and

posted in their places.

SEC. 10. On or before the third Monday of March in each year, the board of canvassers in the several towns, which are or may be divided into voting districts, not including cities divided into wards, shall be in session in some convenient place in each of said districts for a reasonable time to correct said lists; and the notice of the time and place of holding such session shall be given by the council, on the list posted up as aforesaid.

Of correction

of lists in towns divided, &c.

SEC. 11. The board of canvassers shall, at their several meetings, Same subject. correct the lists, and add to the list of voters, all persons otherwise qualified, who, since the preceding meeting have paid taxes assessed against them, necessary for a qualification, and all such others whose names may not be on the list of voters, who may be shown to be entitled to vote under article second, section first, of the constitution, or by the performance of military duty.

and notice of same.

SEC. 12. Said boards shall hold their last meeting within four Of last meeting days next preceding the day of voting at any election, when they of canvassers, shall complete the lists of all persons qualified; which lists need not be posted up as aforesaid, but notice of the time and place of such session shall be given, for at least ten days previous thereto, by posting up notices thereof, in three or more public places in every town, and one in each ward in the cities of Providence and Newport; also, one in each voting district in any town divided into districts for the purpose of voting, and one in the town or city clerk's office; in addition to such notice by publication in one or more newspapers published in such town or city, if any there be.

SEC. 13. In special elections of representatives in congress and of of correction members of the general assembly, said boards shall, on the week-day in special elecof voting list next preceding the day of the election, correct as aforesaid the list of tions.

Of striking name from voting list.

Corrected list, to whom to be delivered.

To whom, in towns divided

into voting districts, and in Newport.

Penalty upon

canvassers,
&c., for neg-
lect, &c.

Board of canvassers to administer

evidence.

voters of their respective towns, city, and wards, without notice or posting up as aforesaid; and in called town or ward meetings shall, if the time of such call will permit, correct as aforesaid said lists; and if the time will not permit, the qualifications of voters at such called town or ward meetings shall be determined by the voting lists as last before corrected; and the town clerk immediately upon issuing a notice for any such called town or ward meeting, shall give notice thereof to the board or boards of canvassers.

SEC. 14. No name shall be stricken from the voting list by any board of canvassers, unless proof shall be presented to said canvassers that such name is the name of a person not qualified to vote, or who may not be qualified according to the provisions of this title.

SEC. 15. The list of voters so corrected, shall be by said board of canvassers certified by their presiding officer, and on the same day delivered to the town clerks of their respective towns, to be delivered by said town clerks to the moderators of town meetings in their respective towns.

SEC. 16. The town clerk of every town divided into districts for the purpose of voting, shall send to the moderator of each of said districts a certified copy of the list for his district, before the time fixed for opening the district meetings, for any election as aforesaid; and the city clerk of the city of Newport shall, from the list of voters so corrected, make out separate lists of the voters of each ward in said cities, and send such lists, by them certified, to the clerks of the respective wards, before the time fixed for the opening of the ward meetings.

SEC. 17. For any wilful neglect to hold the sessions, to post up the lists, or to deliver the same, in this chapter as required, every member of the board of canvassers, and every town and ward clerk so wilfully neglecting, shall be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars.

SEC. 18. Said board of canvassers may, at their sessions, holden either for the purpose of revising the registry, or canvassing the oaths and take votes as aforesaid, examine, under oath, the person whose right to vote is disputed, or any other person present, and may receive any other evidence offered, that such board may deem necessary, respecting the right of any person to have his name upon the registry or to vote, and shall decide upon the same.

Penalty for refusing to an

swer.

Penalty upon canvassers for fraudulent placing, &c., upon list.

Canvassers not liable for omissions in re

turns, when.

SEC. 19. Every person refusing to answer upon such examination, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars, nor more than three hundred dollars for such refusal.

SEC. 20. If any board of canvassers shall, at any session holden for the purpose of correcting the lists of voters, as is herein before provided, wilfully and fraudulently place the name of any person upon the list of voters who is not entitled to vote, or shall wilfully and fraudulently reject and cause to be erased from said list the name of any person entitled to vote, every member of such board so offending, who shall concur in said offence, shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars.

SEC. 21. The board of canvassers, in case they shall have entered on said lists the names of all persons returned to them by said town clerks, shall not be held answerable for any omissions in said lists, nor for refusing to place on such list the name of any person omitted in the lists to them delivered as aforesaid, unless at one of their said sessions they shall be furnished with sufficient evidence of such omission, and of the qualifications as a voter of the person omitted.

SEC. 22. The respective town and ward clerks shall record the votes of the members of the board of canvassers upon admitting or rejecting the name of any person from the list of voters, when they shall be requested thereto by any member of said board, or by any qualified elector of said town or city, present at the time of canvassing, a certified copy of which record shall be evidence of the facts therein stated; and for any wilful neglect upon the part of said clerk to make said record when requested as aforesaid, he shall be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars.

SEC. 23. If any city, town, or ward clerk shall at any time wilfully and fraudulently add a name to any list of voters, or erase any name therefrom, after the same has been corrected and certified as aforesaid, he shall be fined one hundred dollars for every name added or erased as aforesaid.

SEC. 24. The members of the boards of canvassers, and the clerks of such boards in the several towns, shall be paid two dollars each, by their respective towns, for every day's attendance in the discharge of their duties, and the town clerks shall be paid, in addition, legal fees for making out and recording the several lists and returns in this chapter required. The members of the boards of canvassers in the city of Providence, and their respective clerks, shall severally receive such compensation as the city council of said city shall deter

mine.

Record of persons rejected from, or admitted on, lists.

Penalty for neglect to record.

Penalty for fraudulent ad

dition to, &c., list.

Canvassers and clerks, how

and what paid.

1. Town meetings for elections, how warned and organized.

2. Ward meetings for, how warned and organized.

3. District meetings, when and where held.

4. Of district meetings on first Wednesday in April.

5. Of notice of time, place, and pur-
pose of the first meeting of a
newly formed district.

6. Who to preside at such meeting.
7. Who, officers of voting districts.
8. When elected, and how qualified.
9. Of duty and power of moderators
of district meetings.

10. Of district moderator for the
time being.

11. Of district clerk for the time being.

12. Of duty of district clerks.

SECTION

SECTION 1. Town meetings for purposes of election shall be warned and organized as is, or may be, provided by law for the warning and organization of town meetings for other

Town meetings for elections,

purposes, unless

how warned and organized.

Ward meetings for, how

warned and organized.

District meet

where held.

otherwise specially directed, and shall be held at the times by law appointed.

SEC. 2. Ward meetings in cities for like purposes, shall be warned and organized as is, or may be, by law, or the charters of such cities, provided, and shall be held at the times by law appointed; and the city clerk of the city of Providence shall in the warrant calling such meetings, state the time of the rising and setting of the sun on the days of such meetings.

SEC. 3. District meetings in towns which are, or may be divided ings, when and into districts for purposes of election, shall be held within the respective districts by the electors thereof, at the times by law appointed, and at places designated by the vote of the district meeting, and the moderator and clerk, when present, shall constitute a quorum of electors for the opening of the polls for voting for civil officers, except for moderator and clerk.

Of district

meeting on first Wednesday in April.

SEC. 4. A meeting of the electors of every such district shall be annually held on the first Wednesday in April, at nine o'clock in the forenoon, at a place to be designated by the town council, if none be designated by a former district meeting, for the purpose of organization, and of voting for such officers as are to be chosen on that day.

Of notice of SEC. 5. At the first meeting of any such newly formed district, the time, place, town clerk shall cause notice of the time, place, and purpose of such and purpose of first meeting of meeting to be given, by issuing his warrant to the town sergeant or one of the constables of said town, requiring him to post up notifications thereof, in two or more public places in each of said districts.

new district.

SEC. 6. At such first meeting, some member of the town council or other person to be designated by the town council, shall attend the meeting on that day in each of said districts, and act as moderator until the meeting shall choose a moderator.

SEC. 7. The officers of said districts shall be a moderator and district clerk.

SEC. 8. They shall be chosen on the first Wednesday of April, annually; and shall be sworn to the faithful and impartial discharge of the duties of their offices, and to support the constitution and laws of this state and the constitution of the United States.

SEC. 9. The moderators shall preside in all meetings of their districts until a new election; and shall have the same authority to preserve order in said meetings as moderators of town meetings have; and shall be subject to the same penalties for wilful violation or neglect of duty.

SEC. 10. Should the moderator not attend any meeting, the clerk shall preside until a moderator for the time being shall be chosen.

SEC. 11. Should the clerk not attend any meeting, the moderator shall call for an election of clerk for the time being, and shall discharge the duties of clerk until such election.

SEC. 12. The clerks shall keep a record of the proceedings of the meetings in their several districts, and after a choice of officers in their several districts, shall, in writing duly certified, notify the town clerk thereof, and the meeting held on said first Wednesday in April shall fix upon the place of their future meetings; and the district clerks shall severally give notice to the town clerk, of the place so appointed.

SEC. 13. After the first meeting of the electors of a newly formed district, whenever any election for representatives to congress, electors of president and vice-president, general officers, town clerk, town council, justices of the peace, town treasurer, and for senators and

warrant for

representatives to the general assembly, shall be prescribed by law, the town clerk shall cause notice to be given to the voters in each of the districts of the said towns divided into districts, or which may hereafter be divided into districts, as aforesaid, by issuing his warrant to the town sergeant, or one of the constables of the said town, directing him to post up notifications of the time, place, and purpose of such meetings, in two or more public places in each of said districts, at least seven days previous to the time appointed therefor. SEC. 14. The officer charged with the service of said warrant Of service of shall return to the district clerks severally, a certificate of his doings upon said warrant in each district, previous to said meeting. SEC. 15. In the election of general officers, representatives to congress, and electors of president and vice-president of the United States, and of city officers of the cities of Providence and Newport, and when the vote is taken by ballot in the election of senators and representatives to the general assembly, the town meetings of the several towns, and the ward meetings in the cities of Providence and Newport, shall be kept open for voting during the whole time of voting for the day.

SEC. 16. All town meetings and ward meetings for the election of general officers, senators, and representatives to the general assembly, representatives to congress, and electors of president and vice-president of the United States, and for the election of city officers of the cities of Providence and Newport, shall be opened at ten o'clock, in the forenoon, on the day of election, except that in said city of Providence said meeting shall be opened at sunrise.

same.

Of keeping open certain ing whole time meetings durof voting.

Elective meet

elections, when to be opened.

ings for certain

closed.

SEC. 17. All town meetings for such elections, except in case of When to be the election of senators and representatives to the general assembly where the vote is not taken by ballot, in any town having five hundred electors or upward, shall be kept open at least until five o'clock, in the afternoon, on said day.

SEC. 18. All town meetings for such elections in towns having less Same subject. than five hundred electors shall be kept open at least until three o'clock, in the afternoon, on said day.

SEC. 19. Ward meetings in the city of Newport shall be kept open in all such elections until eight o'clock, in the evening, and in the city of Providence until sunset, and no longer. SEC. 20. All district meetings holden for such elections shall be opened at nine o'clock, in the forenoon, and be kept open at least until three o'clock, in the afternoon.

Ward meetings in Newport and

Providence, when.

District meetings, &c.,

when.