Chap. 59.—An ACT to legalize the primary elections for the nominations of city
officers to be elected by the popular vote in the city of Charlottesville.

Approved January 12, 1808,

1. Beat enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That all party
primaries held in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, for the nomination
of city officers, to be elected by the popular vote, shall be held under
such rules and regulations not Mconsistent with this act, as may be pre-
seribed by the local executive party committee of said city ordering such
primary,

2. The said party committee shall determine the rules and regulations
under which such primary election shall be held, except that it shall be
its duty to Incorporate in said rules and regulations the following re-
quirements—to w wits the judges and clerks of such election, before enter-

ing upon the discharge of their duties, shall take and subscribe to the
following oath: I, A. B., appointed to conduct the primary election to
be held by the ——— party, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will
perform the duties devolving upon me in conducting the said primary
election according to the rules and regulations prescribed by the said

city committee to the best of my ‘ability, and that I will studiously
endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit, and abuse in conducting this election.
So help me God.

If there is no one present. authorized to administer the oaths the per-
sons appointed to conduct the election may administer to each other the
oath above prescribed.

3. The judges conducting the said primary shall have the rights,
powers, and privileges, and be subject to all the penalties of judges of
weneral elections, except where it is otherwise provided by this act or by
the rules adopted by the said party committee.

4. The expenses of such primary election held under this act must be
borne by the said party committee ordering it, and said committee may
rect such expenses by voluntary subscriptions or by assessing the same
in an equitable manner against the candidates whose names are to be sub-
mitted to said primary election, and no candidate’s name shall be printed
on any ballot until he shall have paid the amount assessed against him.

5. The judges of said primary election shall not permit any of said
ballots to pass from their possession, except to a voter, and to him only
when he has presented himself at the polls to vote and has been found
eligible. Sheuld he decide not to vote the ballot must be returned to
the judges of election, and he must retire at once from the voting place.

6. No one shall approach the voting place nearer than thirty feet ex-
cept the voter engaged in the act of casting his ballot, and he shall not

remain within the reserved space longer than the time required to deposit
his ballot, but in case of a challenge the challenger and witnesses may
approach ‘the voting place with the voter, and after so challenging im-
mediately retire from within the reserv ed x space of thirty feet. The
committee ordering such election, however, may make up its own list of
voters, and the fact that a name is on such list will be taken as prima
facie evidence of a right to vote, and no challenge will be allowed. In
such case only the voter engaged i in casting his ballot shall be permitted
to approach the voting place nearer than thirty feet.

7. Any person who knowingly or wilfully votes, or attempts to vote,
at such primary election contrary to the rules and regulations governing
the same, or wilfully violates any of the rules of the same, or who
fraudulently registers for the purpose of voting, or any voter who shall
vote under an assumed naine, or shall vote, or attempt to vote more than
once, or shall vote, or attempt to vote, in any way that would be illegal
in a general election, or shall bribe or attempt to bribe, or induce an-
other to vote illegally, or shall receive any money, goods, or chattels for
his vote, or any candidate who shall give to any voter, or to any person
who is not a member of the political party holding such primary elec-
tion any money or thing of value for his vote, shall, upon conviction
thereof, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and be fined not less than five dol-
lars nor more than one hundred dollars and be imprisoned in jail not
less than one nor-‘more than sixty days.
8. Provided, however, that such primary elections which may be sub-
sequent to June first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, shall be held
not more than sixty nor Jess than thirty davs previous to the regular
election.

% All acts and parts of acts heretofore passed inconsistent with this
act are hereby repealed.

10. This act shall be in force from its passage.