CHAPTER II.

REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS.

9

Section 1. The annual city election shall be held on the first "Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each year, and in the years in which a general election is held the city election shalt be held and conducted in connection with such general election and by the same officers. A city election for the election of such officers as are required to be elected at that time shall be held on the first Monday of April, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, and every two years thereafter in connection with the state judicial election held on the same day.

Annual election

tricts.

The election districts in the several wards of the city of De- Election distroit as now established shall remain until they shall be changed as provided by this act. It shall be the duty of the common council when any election district shall contain over six hundred electors to divide such voting district into two or more election districts, as provided by the general election law of this state. When a district shall be divided, the common council shall assign the several registrars and inspectors who were elected at the last preceding election in such district, to the new districts in which they respectively reside, and to appoint a sufficient number of qualified electors of such new districts, who, with the persons so assigned and a chairman to be designated by the common council, shall constitute the registrars and inspectors

Board of Registration of Electors.

of election of such new district. Election districts shall be bounded by ward lines, by streets or alleys, or other well known and established boundary line. Notice of a general re-registration of electors in all new districts will be embodied in the notice of registration required by this act, to be published by the city clerk; and such registration shall be made in the same manner as is provided herein for the new registration directed to be made every fourth year, excepting that the sessions of the board other than in such fourth year shall be held on the same days as the other boards are held in intermediate years, as herein provided.

Sec. 2. There shall be elected by ballot at the next annuar November election in the city of Detroit, and at the November election in each year thereafter in each of the several election districts, three qualified electors of the district, who shall constitute a "board of registration of electors." They shall qualify by taking the constitutional oath of office, to be filed with the city clerk, and shall hold office for one year from the first day of January next following their election and until their successors are elected and qualified, and if from death, failure to qualify, removal from the district or other cause, a vacancy in such office shall occur, or the person elected be unable to perform the duties of the office, the common council may appoint a suitable person to perform such duties for the remainder of the term or until the disability be removed. At the election of such persons, no elector shall vote for more than two candidates, and from the whole number of votes cast the three persons receiving the highest number of votes cast for such office shall be declared elected. The person receiving the highest number of votes shall be the chairman of the district boards of registration and in-spectors of election as herein constituted. Tie votes shall be de-

termined in like manner as cases of an equal number of votes cast for the other city officers. The registrars shall be persons who can read and write in the English language intelligibly.

fice of Chair

Sec. 3. Any vacancy occurring in the chairmanship of any Vacancy in of-district board of registration by death or removal from such man of Board. district, may be filled by the common council. In the year eighteen hundred and ninety-six, and every fourth year thereafter, there shall be a new general registration of all the electors in the several election districts, and for that purpose the several district boards of registration shall meet at the place designated in the notice published by the city clerk as hereinafter provided, on the fourth Monday and on the third Tuesday and Wednesday preceding the general election in November of said years and in General regiseach fourth year thereafter, and shall continue in session on each of said days between the hours of eight o'clock, local time, in the forenoon, and nine o'clock, local time, in the evening of each day, without adjourning. Such general re-registration shall be made in the "register of electors" for such districts and shall be of the names of all persons at the time residing in such districts and qualified as electors in said districts according to the provisions of the constitution and as hereinafter provided. Their sessions shall be public.

The board at every session shall have power and it shall be their duty to question every person presenting himself for registration, touching his residence and other qualifications, as an elector of the district, and such other matters as are required to be entered in said register, and it shall be the duty of the applicant to make truthful answers to all such questions, and the board may employ an interpreter, if they deem it necessary, who shall be sworn truly and impartially to interpret all such questions and answers, and it shall be the duty of said board, on the de

tration.

Challenges.

Registration of qualified elec

*tors.

Register of electors to be

kept by City Clerk.

mand of any of them or of any elector who shall be present, to administer to all persons who shall personally apply to register, the following oath or affirmation: "You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will fully and truly answer all such questions as shall be put to you, touching your place of residence, name, place of birth, your qualifications as an elector and your right as such to register and vote under the laws of this state." Either of said registrars may administer the oath to the applicant and the oath to the interpreter, if one be employed.

Sec. 4. Every male person who is or at the next election in said city of Detroit will be entitled to vote therein, on personal application in the election district where he lawfully resides, and complying with the requirements herein, may be registered as an elector therein, but not otherwise. And it shall be the duty of every elector resident in said city to see that his name has been so registered and no person shall be deemed or held to have acquired a legal residence in any ward or election district for the purpose of voting therein at any election therein, unless he shall have caused himself to be registered as an elector in said district, in the manner and at the time hereinafter prescribed, and no person shall be registered as an elector of said city at any other time or place than those which are in this act designated; nor shall any ballot be received by the inspectors at any election on any pretense whatever unless the name of the person offering such ballot shall have been entered in the register of the district in which he claims to vote as herein provided.

Sec. 5. On or before the first day of October in each year when the general registration of electors is required to be made, the city clerk shall procure and have in readiness a book for each and every election district in said city for the registration of electors therein, and it shall be styled as "The Register of

Electors" for such district. Each register shall be made of good and suitable paper and substantially bound and contain space and ruled lines for at least twelve hundred names and be arranged and ruled in parallel columns with. printed headings, in the following order: Number (consecutively); full name; residence; age; term of residence in state and ward; nativity; naturalized; declared intention prior to May fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-two; date of registration; sworn; remarks; and the ruling and heading on each page of the register shall be according to the following diagram enlarged: (See next page.)