those marked "objected to," unite the ends of such wire in a firm knot, seal the knot in such manner that it cannot be untied with breaking the seal, enclose the ballots so strung in a secure canvass covering and securely tie and seal such canvass covering with official wax impression seals, to be provided by the judges, in such manner that it cannot be opened without breaking the seals, and return such ballots, together with the package containing the ballots marked "defective" or "objected to" in such sealed canvass covering to the proper clerk and such officer shall carefully preserve such ballots for six months, and at the expiration of that time shall destroy them by burning without previously opening the packages. Such ballots shall be destroyed in the presence of the official custodian thereof and two electors of approved integrity and good repute and members respectively of the two leading political parties. Such electors shall be designated by the county judge of the county in which such ballots are kept. If any contest of election of any officer voted for at such election shall be pending at the expiration of such time, such ballots shall not be destroyed until such contest is finally determined. SEC. 187. When the votes shall have been examined and counted, the clerks shall set down in their poll books the name of every person voted for, written at full length, the office for which such person received such votes, and the number of votes he received, the number being expressed in words, at full length; such entry to be made, as nearly as circumstances will admit, in the following form, to wit: in the year of the following named our Lord one thousand nine hundred and. persons received the number of votes annexed to their respective names for the following described offices, to wit: (Name of candidate) had (number of votes) for (title of office), (and in the same manner for any other person voted for). A like certificate shall be made for the votes upon a constitutional amendment or other public measure. SEC. 188. In the case of general elections, one of the lists of voters, with such certificate written thereon, and one of the tally papers footed up so as to show the correct number of votes cast for each person voted for, shall be carefully enveloped and sealed up, and put into the hands of one of the judges of election, who shall within 24 hours thereafter deliver the same to the county clerk or his deputy, at the office of such county clerk, who shall safely keep the same. Another of the lists of voters, with such certificate written thereon, and another of the tally papers footed up as aforesaid, shall be carefully enveloped and sealed up and duly directed to the Secretary of State, and by another of the judges of election, deposited in the nearest postoffice within six hours after the completion of the canvass of the votes cast at such election, which poll book and tally list shall be filed and kept by the Secretary of State for one year, and certified copies thereof shall be evidence in all courts, proceedings and election contests. Another of the lists of voters, with such certificates written thereon, and another of the tally papers footed as aforesaid, shall be carefully enveloped and sealed up and delivered by the third one of the judges, without delay, in counties under township organization, to the town clerk of the town in which the district may be; and in counties not under township organization, they shall be retained by one of the judges of election, and safely kept by such town clerk or judge, for the use and inspection of the voters of such district until the next general election. The lists of voters and tally papers required by this Act to be forwarded to the Secretary of State shall be transmitted in envelopes furnished to the various county clerks by the Secretary of State for that purpose. Such envelopes shall bear the name and address of the Secretary of State printed in plain, legible type, together with a blank from printed in convenient shape for designating the county and voting precinct or district where it is to be used, and also the words, "poll book and tally list only," and the date of the election for which they are to be used. Such envelopes, printed as aforesaid, shall be forwarded by the Secretary of State to the various county clerks in ample time for each general election. And it shall be the duty of the county clerk of each county, upon receipt of such envelopes, properly to fill out the blank form on one copy of the same for each voting precinct or district in his county, according to the list of precincts forwarded by him in pursuance of law, to the office of the Secretary of State. Such county clerks shall attach to each of such envelopes, sufficient stamps to fully repay the postage on the list of voters and tally paper which it is to contain. Such envelopes, properly filled out and stamped as aforesaid, shall be distributed by the various county clerks to the election officers entitled to receive them, together with their regular quota of other election supplies. SEC. 189. In the case of city, village or incorporated town elections, the returns as aforesaid shall be made to the city, village or incorporated town clerk within two days after the election. SEC. 190. In the case of town or road district elections the returns aforesaid shall be made to the town or road district clerk, as the case may be, within one day after the election. SEC. 191. No number of votes shall be printed on any ballot after the name of any candidate for representative in the General Assembly. In canvassing the vote for representative in the General Assembly, the ballots shall be counted in the manner following: First—Where the names of three candidates for representatives in the General Assembly are printed under one party appellation or title and a cross, thus, X, is placed at the appropriate place preceding such party appellation or title and the ballot is not otherwise marked for representatives in the General Assembly, it shall be counted one vote for each of such candidates. Second-Where the names of two candidates for representatives in the General Assembly are printed under one party appellation or title and a cross, thus, X, is placed at the appropriate place preceding such party appellation or title, and the ballot is not otherwise marked for representatives in the General Assembly, it shall be counted one and one-half votes for each of such candidates. Third-Where the name of but one candidate for representative in the General Assembly is printed under one party appellation or title and a cross thus, X, is placed at the appropriate place preceding such party appellation or title and the ballot is not otherwise marked for representatives in the General Assembly, it shall be counted three votes for such candidate. Fourth-Whether a cross, thus, X, is placed at the appropriate place preceding any party appellation or title, or not, whenever a cross is placed in the square preceding the name of any one candidate for representative in the General Assembly and the ballot is not otherwise marked, the ballot shall be counted three votes for such candidate; where a cross is placed in the squares preceding the names of any two candidates for representatives in the General Assembly and the ballot is not otherwise marked, the ballot shall be counted one and one-half votes for each of such two candidates; where a cross is placed in the squares preceding the names of any three candidates for representatives in the General Assembly and the ballot is not otherwise marked, the ballot shall be counted one vote for each of such three candidates. Fifth-Where the voter has indicated his intention by lawful marking of his ballot to divide his votes among the candidates in any manner other than as specified in the foregoing sections, it shall be counted for such candidates according to the intention of the voter as disclosed by the marking of the ballot. Sixth-If the ballot has been so marked as to indicate an intention to cast more than three votes for representatives in the General Assembly, such ballot shall not be counted for any of such candidates. SEC. 192. The principles of the foregoing section shall be observed in counting the ballots for aldermen in cities having minority representation in the city council. (b) At Primary Elections. SEC. 193. The votes shall be canvassed in the room or place where the primary is held and the primary judges shall not allow the ballot box or any of the ballots, or the primary poll book, or any of the tally sheets to be removed or carried away from such room or polling place until the canvass of the votes is completed and the returns carefully enveloped and sealed. SEC. 194. If the primary elector marks more names upon the primary ballot than there are persons to be nominated as candidates for an office, or for State central committeeman, senatorial committeeman, precinct or ward committeemen, or delegates or alternate delegates to National nominating conventions, or if for any reason it is impossible to determine the primary elector's choice of a candidate for the nomination for an office, or committeeman, or delegate or alternate delegate to National nominating conventions, his primary ballot shall not be counted for the nomination for such office or committeeman, or delegate or alternate delegate to National nominating conventions. No primary ballot, without the endorsement of the judge's initials thereon, shall be counted. Primary ballots not counted shall be marked "defective" on the back thereof; and primary ballots to which objections have been made by either of the primary judges or challengers shall be marked "objected to" on the back thereof; and a memorandum, signed by the primary judges, stating how it was counted, shall be written on the back of each primary ballot so marked; and all primary ballots marked "defective" or "objected to" shall be enclosed in an envelope and securely sealed, and so marked and endored as to clearly disclose its contents. All primary ballots not voted, and all that have been spoiled by voters while attempting to vote, shall be returned to the proper clerk, by the primary judges, and a receipt taken therefor, and shall be preserved three months. Such official shall keep a record of the number of primary ballots delivered for each polling place, and he or they shall also enter upon such record the number and charter of primary ballots returned, with the time when and the persons by whom they are returned. SEC. 195. Immediately upon closing the polls, the primary judges shall proceed to canvass the votes in the manner following: (1) They shall separate and count the ballots of each political party; (2) They shall then proceed to ascertain the number of names entered on the primary poll books under each party affiliation; (3) If the primary ballots of any political party exceed in number the names of voters of such political party entered on the primary poll books, the primary ballots of such political party shall be folded and replaced in the ballot box, the box closed, well shaken and again opened and one of the primary judges, who shall be blindfolded, shall draw out and destroy so many of the primary ballots of such political party as shall be equal to such excess; (4) The primary judges shall then proceed to count the primary ballots of each political party separately; and as the primary judges shall open and read the primary ballots, each primary clerk shall carefully and correctly mark upon the tally sheets the votes which each candidate of the party whose name is written or printed on the primary ballot has received, in a separate column for that purpose, with the name of such candidate, the name of his political party and the name of the office for which he is a candidate for nomination at the head of such column. SEC. 196. As soon as the ballots of a political party shall have been read and the votes of such political party counted, as provided in the last above section, the primary clerks shall foot up the tally sheets so as to show the total number of votes cast for each candidate of such political party and for each candidate for State central committeeman, senatorial committeeman and precinct or ward cammitteeman, or delegate or alternate delegate to National nominating conventions, and certify the same to be correct. Thereupon, the primary judges shall set down in the primary poll books, under the name of such political party, the name of each candidate voted for upon the primary ballot, written at full length, the name of the office for which he is a candidate for nomination or for committeeman, or delegate or alternate delegate to National nominating conventions, the total number of votes which such candidate received, and the primary poll books, to be made substantially in the following form: .Party. ...day At the primary election held in this precinct on the... of... .A. D. 19.... the respective candidates whose names were written or printed on the primary ballot of said.. received respectively the following votes: .party, We hereby certify the above and foregoing to be true and correct. ..day of.... .A. D. 19.... Judges of Primary. F SEC. 197. After the votes of a political party have been counted and set down and the tally sheet footed and the entry made in the primary poll books, as above provided, all the primary ballots of such political party, except those marked "defective" or "objected to," shall be strung upon a strong thread or twine separately for each political party in the order in which such primary ballots have been read, and shall thereupon be carefully sealed in an envelope, which envelope shall be endorsed as follows: Primary ballots of the.... ..party of the..... the county of... ...and State of Illinois. ...precinct of Below each endorsement, each primary judge shall write his name. SEC. 198. The primary poll books, with the certificates of the primary judges written thereon, and the tally sheets, together with the envelopes containing the ballots, shall be carefully enveloped and sealed up together, properly endorsed and put into the hands of the primary judges who shall within forty-eight hours thereafter, deliver the same to the clerk from whom the primary ballots were obtained, which clerk shall safely keep the same for three (3) months. SEC. 199. In all primaries for the nomination of candidates for representatives in the General Assembly each qualified primary elector may cast three votes for one candidate or may distribute the same or equal parts thereof among two candidates or three candidates as he shall see fit. And the candidate or candidates for nomination highest in votes shall be declared nominated for the office to be filled. SEC. 200. The vote for the nomination of candidates for representative in the General Assembly shall be canvassed in the following manner: (1) When a cross is placed in the squares preceding the names of three (3) candidates and the ballot for representatives in the General Assembly is not otherwise marked it shall be counted as one vote for each candidate. (2) When a cross is placed in the squares preceding the names of two candidates, and the ballot for representative in the General Assembly is not otherwise marked, it shall be counted as one and one-half votes for each of such candidates. (3) When a cross is placed in the square preceding the name of one candidate, and the ballot for representative in the General Assembly is not otherwise marked, it shall be counted as three (3) votes for such candidate. (4) When the ballot has been so marked as to indicate the intention to cast more than three votes for the nomination of candidates for representatives in the General Assembly, such ballot shall not be counted for any of such candidates. ARTICLE XIV. CANVAS OF RETURNS AND DECLARATION OF THE RESULT. (a) Of General Elections. SEC. 201. In elections for the choice of public officers, the person receiving the highest number of votes for an office shall be deemed and declared to be elected to such office. If two or more persons are to be elected to the same office, the several persons, to the number to be chosen to such office, receiving the highest number of votes shall be deemed and declared to be elected. SEC. 202. When two or more persons receive an equal and the highest number of votes for an office, the proper clerk, or the Secretary of State, as the case may be, shall issue a notice to such persons of such tie vote, and require them to appear at his office on the day and hour named in the notice, and within ten days after the completion of the canvass of the returns, and determine by lot which of them is to be declared elected. SEC. 203. On the day and hour appointed the proper clerk, or Secretary of State, as the case may be, shall attend and the parties interested shall appear and determine by lot which of them is to be declared elected. If the parties interested, or any of them, do not appear the proper clerk, or Secretary of State, as the case may be, shall, in the presence of at least two elective public officers selected by the clerk or the Secretary of State, as the case may be, determine by lot which of them is to be declared elected, and a certificate of the casting of the lot shall be attested by such two elective public officers and filed in the office of the proper clerk, or Secretary of State, as the case may be. SEC. 204. The proper clerk, or the Secretary of State, as the case may be, shall make out a certificate of election or commission to each of the persons declared elected to the several offices, and deliver such certificate to the person entitled to it on his application. SEC. 205. The returns shall be canvassed and the result declared as follows: (1) Those made to the city, village or incorporated town clerk, by the city council or board of trustees, as the case may be. (2) Those made to the town clerk, by the supervisor, assessor and collector within five days after the returns are made. (3) Those made to the road district clerk, by the commissioners of highways, one justice of the peace selected by them and district clerk within five days after the returns are made. (4) Those made to the county clerk, by the county clerk with the assistance of two justices of the peace of the county within seven days after the close of the election, but the result of the election shall not be declared where abstracts of votes are sent to the Secretary of State. (5) Those made to the Secretary of State (excepting for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, Treasurer, Attorney General and Superintendent of Public Instruction), by the Secretary of State, Treasurer and Attorney General. (6) Those made to the Secretary of State and directed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, by the joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives assembled in the hall of the House of Representatives. SEC. 206. Each of such boards shall act as a board and the decision of a majority of such board (all being notified and a quorum being present) shall be required. SEC. 207. The county canvassing board shall make abstracts of the votes in manner following: Of votes for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, on one sheet; of votes for State officers, on another sheet; of votes for presidential electors, on another sheet; of votes for United States Senator and Representatives in Congress, on another sheet; of votes for judges of the Supreme Court, on another sheet; of votes for clerk of the Supreme Court, on another sheet; of votes for judges of the Circuit Court, on another sheet; of votes for Senators and Representatives in the General Assembly, on another sheet; of |