OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Political said department be of the same political faith and opinion. fomplex- Each of said members shall hereafter before entering upon

Oath.

tion.

Officers.

his duties and within one month from the time of his ap-
pointment take and subscribe and file in the office of the
Clerk of the Peace of the county wherein he resides an oath
or affirmation that he will perform the duties of his office
with fidelity and impartiality.
The members of the De-

Organiza- partment of Elections shall meet and organize said Department of Elections, by this act constituted, by selecting one of their number to be President, whose term of office shall continue for one year from date of such organization, when and biennially thereafter the said Departinent of Elections shall select one of their number to be President. Each member of the Department of Elections shall receive as compensation for his services in any year in which there is held a general or special election a salary of five hundred dollars, said compensation to be paid as hereinafter provided.

Compensation.

Duties of department.

Division of city

tion dists.

SECTION 3. The duties of the members of the Department of Elections, shall be as follows:

I. They shall, on or before the first day of June next, into elec- preceding the time of the first registration held under the provisions of this act, and in every sixth year thereafter, on or before the first day of June, divide the city into as many election districts as they shall deem necessary, and shall establish the boundaries thereof. Provided, that each election district shall contain as near as may be, not more than three

Number

of voters

in district. hundred, nor less than one hundred qualified voters.

Dists. to

one repre

And

further, provided, that each of said election districts shall be

be within entirely within the boundaries of one representative district. sentative And on or before the first day of June, A. D. nineteen hun

district.

Subsequent divisions.

dred, and biennially thereafter, said Department of Elections may divide such of the election districts, and such only as, by the election last preceding such division, shall be found to contain a greater number of voters than can conveniently Desigua- vote therein. They shall also designate each of said election districts by appropriate titles or distinctions.

tions.

Dismissal of Registrars.

II. They shall have power to dismiss any Registrar at any time and supply his place with another person. They Employes, may also employ a clerk, counsel and such other assistants as, in the judgment of the members of said Department of

OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Elections, shall be necessary and proper for the faithful performance by it of the duties by this act imposed; provided, the expense thereof shall not exceed fifteen hundred dollars Limit of in any one year in which the general election is held, which expense. said sum shall not include the compensation of members of the Departinent of Elections and Registrars, to be paid upon How paid. warrants of the President of the Departinent of Elections, in the same manner as is provided for the payment of the legal compensation of members of said Department of Elections.

of

III. They shall, hereafter, appoint all registrars in the city mont of Wilmington, and shall make all necessary removals of reg- Registrars istration officers, and fill all vacancies which from any cause vacancies

occur.

ment of

tion offi

tions.

IV. They shall in the month of June, in each year in Appointwhich a general election is held, appoint for each election Registra district in the City of Wilmington three capable persons, who cers. shall be voters and residents in the election district, for which Qualificathey shall be appointed, who shall be the registration officers of the election district for which they are appointed; one of whom shall be designated as "Registrar," and the other two "Assistant Registrars," and not more than two of them shall Politics. be of the same political faith; provided, that the total number of registration officers in each representative district, shall be divided as equally as possible between the two leading politi- Division cal parties, as the same shall be determined upon by the De-parties. partment of Elections at the time of making the appointments. And further, for each appointment accredited to any political party under this section the city executive committee of such Furnishpolitical party shall furnish the Department of Elections on for officers or before the first day of June of the year in which said ap-Time. pointment is to be made, a list of three names of properly qualified persons, from which list the Department of Elections shall make its appointinents.

between

ing of lists

not fur

Provided, however, that if the said lists of names are not when list furnished as aforesaid, then and in that event the Department nished. of Elections shall appoint some suitable person, or persons, of Departsuch political party having all the qualifications provided by select. this section.

ment to

Provided, however, that in the case of the Registration offi- Proviso cers to be appointed in this present year, eighteen hundred tration

1898.

OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.

officers for and ninety-eight, the appointment of the said Registration officers shall be made some time between Saturday, the eleventh day of June, and Saturday, the twenty-fifth day of June in said year; and, provided further, that the lists of names to be furnished by the city executive committee from which the appointments of such Registration officers shall be made, with regard to those to be appointed in the year aforesaid shall be furnished not later than Saturday, the eleventh day of June in the year aforesaid.

When terms of office begin.

Term.

Alternate
Registrar.

Term of office.

When to act.

Powers

The terms of office of such Registration officers shall begin on the first Tuesday in July next after appointment and shall continue for two years thereafter, and until their successors shall be duly chosen and qualified, unless sooner removed as provided in this act.

V. They shall also when appointing Registration officers for the several election districts of the City of Wilmington at the same time appoint in each election district in the said city one capable person, who shall be a voter and resident in the election district for which he shall be appointed, to be "Alternate Registrar" for the said election district. The term of office of said "Alternate Registrar" shall be the same as that of the registrar, and whenever the registrar provided for by this act shall be incapable from any cause whatsoever of performing the duties required of him by the laws of this State, the alternate registrar in the same election district shall act

in his stead, and while acting shall possess all the powers and and duties do and perform all the duties of a registrar.

ternate

When Al- VI. But nothing herein contained shall authorize or emnot to act. power the alternate registrar to act at any time when there is

a registrar of the election district able and willing and present to act. If any registration officer or alternate registrar shall remove from the election district for which he shall be apVacancies pointed, or shall cease to be a voter therein, his office shall thereupon become vacant.

VII. If any vacancy or vacancies should occur in the office tration of registrar, assistant registrar or alternate registrar, before the expiration of such term, from any cause whatsoever, the said Department of Elections shall appoint some suitable person or persons to fill such vacancy or vacancies who shall appointee, serve for the residue of such unexpired term or terms, who

OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.

tions, pow

shall possess the same qualifications and be qualified in the qualificasame manner, possess the same powers and perform the same ers, &c. duties as the original appointee or appointees. Each registrar, assistant registrar and alternate registrar before entering upon the duties of his office, shall take and subscribe before the Clerk of the Peace of the county in which he shall reside the following oath or affirmation which the said Clerk of the Registra

Peace is hereby authorized to administer :

Oath of

tion officers.

Election Form.

Representative District in

County, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Delaware, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of registrar (assistant registrar or alternate registrar) for. Election District in

Representative District in . County faithfully, honestly, fairly, impartially and according to the best of my ability; that I am a citizen of the United States and of the State of Delaware, and am not a candidate for any office to be voted for by the election district for which I am appointed registrar (assistant registrars or alternate registrar) and that I am a qualified voter in said election district."

vacate

VIII. Should the said registrar, assistant registrars or Officers beeither of them or alternate registrar after taking said oath and coming before entering upon the active duties of said office become a dates to candidate for any office to be voted for by the electors of the office. election district for which he is appointed registrar, assistant registrar or alternate registrar, the said office shall ipso facto become vacant and be filled by the appointment of another How filled person to the same. After any registrar, assistant registrar or alternate registrar shall have entered upon the active duties of his office he shall thereby become ineligible to any office officers to to be voted for at the next ensuing general election.

be ineligible to be voted for.

SECTION 4. Each and every person appointed as aforesaid Time of to act as registrar, assistant registrar or alternate registrar shall baking qualify as such registrar, assistant registrar or alternate reg-qualifying istrar by taking and subscribing the oath or affirmation prescribed in the preceding section within ten days after being notified of his appointment and shall perform the duties of the office for the time for which he was appointed, unless he

OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Appoin- shall become disqualified by sickness or otherwise. But any cancies to registrar, assistant registrar or alternate registrar, who shall

tees to va

qualify forthwith.

qualify.

be appointed to fill a vacancy, shall qualify forthwith. And if any registrar, assistant registrar or alternate registrar, who being appointed either for a full term or to fill a vacancy, Refusal to shall refuse to qualify as aforesaid, or having qualified, shall fail or refuse to perform any of the duties of said office, he shall Penalty. forfeit and pay to the State a fine of one hundred dollars, upon conviction thereof by indictment in the Court of General Sessions of the county where such offence was committed.

Certifi

pointment.

Form of.

Removal

officers.

The Department of Elections shall deliver a certificate of cate of ap-appointment to whomsoever it shall appoint and who shall be sworn into office as registrar, said certificate to be in such form as shall be prescribed by such Department of Elections, specifying the election district in and for which the person to whom the same is issued is appointed to serve, and the date of the expiration of his term of office. The Department of Regis of Elections shall have full power and authority to remove any of the registration officers appointed by them as aforesaid for want of requisite qualification or cause, but in either of such case such removal, unless made while the registrars are actually on duty, on a day of registration, and for improper conduct as a registration officer, shall only be made after notice in writing to the officer sought to be removed, which notice shall set forth clearly and distinctly the reasons for removal. Any person appointed to fill any vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of the person whose office he is appointed to fill.

Privileges of Registra

The registration officers during the time they hold such tion officers. office shall be exempt from the performance of military and Disqualifi- jury duty, and no person who by the laws of the State is cation for office of exempt froin jury duty shall be required to serve as registraregistration tion officer.

officers.

Office of Department of

Limit of rent.

SECTION 5. The said Department of Elections may rent some suitable and convenient place in the said city, and fit Elections. up the same for an office for the use of the said Department of Elections at a yearly rental not to exceed three hundred dollars, to be paid upon the warrants of the President of the to be paid. Department of Elections, in the same manner as is provided for the payment of the legal compensation of members of said Department of Elections.

How rent