Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 69.djvu/744

 702

PUBLIC LAW 376-AUG. 12, 1955

[69

STAT.

METHOD OF- VOTING

Challenged ballots.

A v a i l ability of regulations.

SEC. 9. (a) Voting in all elections shall be secret. Voting may be by paper ballot or voting machine. (b) The ballot of a perfeon who is registered as a resident of the District shall be valid only if cast in the voting precinct M^here the residence shown on his registration is located. (c) Each qualified candidate may have a watcher at each polling place, provided the watcher presents proper credentials signed by the candidate. No one shall interfere with the opportunity of a watcher to observe the conduct of the election at that polling place and the counting of votes. Watchers may challenge prospective voters who are believed to be unqualified to vote. (d) If the official in charge of the polling place, after hearing both parties to any such challenge or acting on his own initiative with respect to a prospective voter, reasonably believes the prospective voter is unqualified to vote, he shall allow the voter to cast a paper ballot marked "challenged". Ballots so cast shall be segregated, and no such ballot shall be counted until the challenge has been removed as provided in subsection (e). (e) If a person has been permitted to vote only by challenged ballot, such person, or any qualified candidate, may appeal to the Board within three days after election day. The Board shall decide within seven days after the appeal is perfected whether the voter was qualified to vote. If the appeal is denied, the appellant may within three days of such denial appeal to the municipal court of the District of Columbia. The decision of such court shall be final and not appealable. If the Board decides that the voter was qualified to vote, the word "challenged" shall be stricken from the voter's ballot and the ballot shall be treated as if it had not been challenged. (f) If the official in charge of the polling place is satisfied that a qualified elector is unable to record his vote by marking the ballot or operating the voting machine, two officials of the polling place shall on the request of the voter enter the voting booth and vote as directed. The officials shall tell no one how the voter voted. The official in charge of the voting place shall make a return of all such voters, giving their names and disabilities. (g) No person shall vote more than once in any election nor in an election held by a political party other than that to which he has declared himself to be a member. (h) Copies of the regulations of the Board with respect to voting shall be made available to prospective voters at each polling place. ELECTIONS

SEC. 10. (a) The elections of the officials referred to in clauses (1), (2), and (3) of the first section and of officials designated pursuant to clause (4) of such section shall be held on the first Tuesday in May of each presidential election year. Any such election shall be conducted by the Board in conformity with the provisions of this Act. Polls shall be open from 8 o'clock antemeridian to 8 o'clock postmeridian on election days. (b) Candidates receiving the highest number of votes in said election shall be declared the winners. (c) In the case of a tie, the candidates receiving the tie vote shall cast lots before the Board, at 12 o'clock noon on a date to be set by the Board, but not sooner than ten days following the election, and the one to whom the lot shall fall shall be declared the winner. If any candidate or candidates, receiving a tie vote, fail to appear before

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