Sec. 9. Judges of election to receive and canvass ballots delivered to them by postoffice employees, under certain restrictions. The judges of election in the several election districts at a general election shall receive all ballots delivered to them on election day by officers or employes of the United States Postoffice department in due course of the business of that department and as herein provided, and deposit the same in the appropriate ballot box provided that they are satisfied that the person mailing the same is a duly qualified voter in such election district and entitled to vote therein at such election, provided further that the conditions precedent hereinafter set forth, exist. Ballots so deposited shall be counted, canvassed and returned in the same manner and shall be given the same force and effect as the votes of other duly qualified voters who vote in person.

Upon a "Return Envelope" being delivered to the judges of election they shall open the same in such a manner as not to cut or mutilate the contents or deface or damage the signature of the attesting witness on the outside thereof. They shall then take from the "Return Envelope" the "Voters Certificate" and "Certificate of Attesting Witness"; they shall compare the signature of the "Attesting Witness" on the outside of the "Return Envelope" with the signature on the certificate enclosed therein and shall also compare the signature on the "Voters Certificate" with the signature on the "Application for Ballots" delivered to them as provided for in section 7 hereof. If the judges or a majority of them are satisfied that the signatures of the "Attesting Witness" on the outside of the "Return Envelope" is the genuine signature of the person that signed the "Certificate of Attesting Witness" enclosed in the "Return Envelope" and if the signature of such witness on said certificate shall be authenticated as prescribed in the "Direction to Voters" set forth in section 6 hereof, and if the judges or a majority of them shall be satisfied that the signatures of the voter subscribed to the "Voters Certificate" is the genuine signature of the person who made the "Application for Ballots," the judges, or one or more of them shall write the word "Received" on such "Ballot Envelope" and under such word his or their name or initials, provided that in cities of first, second or third class such ballot shall not be so marked unless the voter mailing in such ballot has been theretofore duly registered in such election district, nor shall said ballot be so marked with the word "Received" if it appears from the registration list that such voter has already voted at such general election, either in person or by mail. If the ballots are not received for the reason that the voter has failed to comply with the requirements hereinbefore set forth or has previously voted at such election, then “Ballot Envelope"

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shall be marked "Rejected" and placed in the "Return Envelope" with the "Voters Certificate" and placed with and returned to the county auditor with the unused ballots. No person who has voted by mail as herein provided shall be permitted to thereafter vote in person.

If the "Ballot Envelope" is marked with the word "Received" as hereinbefore provided, the judges in charge of the register shall make an appropriate notation on the register of voters indicating that the voter has voted by mail; this shall be done by. placing the letters "V. M." in the appropriate column opposite the voter's name.

The "Ballot Envelope" marked "Received" as aforesaid shall be carefully kept by the judges until the closing of the polls on the election day, but before any of the ballot boxes are opened, at which time the said "Ballot Envelope" shall be opened and the ballots therein taken therefrom and deposited by the judges in the proper ballot box. If there be more than one ballot of any one kind enclosed in said "Ballot Envelope," then and in such case neither of such ballots of such kind shall be deposited in the ballot box, but all such kinds shall be placed with the spoiled ballots and returned as is provided for by law with reference to such spoiled ballots. The judges before depositing said ballots in the ballot boxes shall write their initials thereon in the same manner as is provided by law with reference to ballots delivered by them to voters voting in person.

Sec. 10. City clerks to furnish postmasters lists of polling places. It shall be the duty of the city clerk of every city having more than two voting precincts therein to furnish to the postmaster of said city, at least two days before the day on which a general election is held, a certified tabulated list of the polling places in each of the several voting districts of said city, describing the same by ward and precinct number and opposite each such description shall be set forth the respective location, by street and number, of such polling place. This for the guidance of postoffice employes in delivering the "Return Envelopes."

Sec. 11. City clerks to furnish to Registration Boards blank application for ballots.-It shall be the duty of the city clerk of cities of the first, second and third class to furnish the Board of Registration in the several election districts of their respective cities with a suitable number of blank "Application for Ballots" first described in section 2 hereof:

The Board of Registration shall furnish a copy of such ap- ` plication blank to any voter applying therefor on any registration day.

The county auditor shall prepare and print a suitable number of blanks for the "Application for Ballots" last described in

section 2 hereof and deliver a copy thereof to any voter applying therefor.

Sec. 12. False certificates or statements deemed a felony.— Any person who shall wilfully make or sign any false certificates specified herein; any person who shall wilfully make any false or untrue statement in any "Application for Ballots"; any person who shall wilfully exhibit to any other person any ballot marked by him; any person who shall in any way wilfully do any act contrary to the terms and provisions of this act with intent to cast an illegal vote in any election district or to aid another in so doing shall be guilty of a felony.

Sec. 13. Nominations to close within 30 days before holding the general election. No nominations for any office shall be made, either by petition or otherwise within thirty days of the time of holding a general election, except nominations to fill a vacancy in a nomination previously made, or to nominate a candidate for an office in which a vacancy has occurred and for which no person is a candidate.

Sec. 14. Inconsistent acts repealed. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed.

Sec. 15. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved March 14, 1917.

CHAPTER 69—H. F. No. 443.

An act to amend the title to and Section 1 of Chapter 182, Laws of 1915, which chapter is entitled, "An act to authorize the county auditor and county treasurer in counties having a population of less than one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants to pay claims against the county, for labor and for the use of teams, without the same having been first audited and allowed by the county board where the claim is for manual labor on public roads or for the use of teams in the con- 、 struction, improvement or maintenance of public roads." Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota :

Section 1. Title amended so as to make chapter 182, Session Laws 1915, conform to St. Louis County. That the title to chapter 182, Laws of 1915, be and the same hereby is amended so as to read as follows:

"An act to authorize the county auditor and county treasurer in counties having a population of less than two hundred thousand inhabitants to pay claims against the county, for labor and for the use of teams, without the same having been first audited and allowed by the county board where the claim is for manual labor on public roads or for the use of teams in the construction, improvement or maintenance of public roads."

Sec. 2. Section 1, chapter 182, Session Laws 1915, amended so as to conform to St. Louis County. That section 1 of chapter 182, Laws of 1915, be and the same hereby is amended so as to read as follows:

"Section 1. Where any county having a population of less than two hundred thousand inhabitants is engaged in constructing, improving, maintaining or repairing any public road by daylabor, it shall be lawful for the county auditor and county treasurer to pay the claims of the laborers who have performed manual labor on said roads, for such labor, and the claims of persons who have furnished teams and wagons or plows or scrapers in the performance of work on such roads for the use of such teams and such equipment, without such claims having first been audited and allowed by the county board, provided such claims shall be evidenced and authenticated as herein provided, and be in the form as hereinafter provided."

Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved March 14, 1917.

CHAPTER 70—H. F. No. 641.

An act to amend Sections 6, 21 and 22 of Chapter 115, of the Special Laws of Minnesota for 1885, entitled, "An act to establish a municipal court in the City of Winona," as amended by Chapters 49 and 50 of the Special Laws of Minnesota of 1887.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota:

Section 1. Police officer to be appointed court officer of municipal court of Winona, and premium on bond may be appointed by city. That section 6 of chapter 115 of the Special Laws of Minnesota for 1885, as amended by chapter 49 of the Special Laws of Minnesota for 1887, be and the same is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

Section 6. The municipal judge shall, on or before the first Monday in May in each year appoint by and with the consent of the city council of said city, a suitable member of the regular police force of said city to act as officer of said court, with the official title of "court officer," whose term of office as such court officer shall begin on the first Monday in May and continue for one year and until his successor shall be appointed and qualified. Such officer shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take the usual oath of office, and shall execute a bond to said city, with one or more sureties, to be approved by said council, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties, and for the payment and delivery to the person or corporation entitled thereto of all money and effects which may come into his hands

by virtue, or color of his office. The premium on such bond may in the discretion of said council be paid by it. It shall be the duty of said officer to attend said court at all times when it is in session, to execute its orders, to serve all process issued therefrom which may be delivered to him for service, and to perform such other duties as may be required of him by this act or by any law of this state. In case of a vacancy in said office the municipal judge shall, by and with the consent of the said city council, fill such vacancy by appointment of a member of the regular police force of said city for the remainder of the unexpired term; and in case of said court officer's temporary absence or disability, the municipal judge may appoint some other police officer of said city to act for the time being in his place, who shall, while so acting, possess the same powers and perform the same duties as said court officer. No compensation shall be fixed by the said city council for the services of said court officer; and such officer may for good cause be removed from office by the municipal judge and the vacancy thus caused shall be filled in the same manner as in this section above provided.

Sec. 2. Salary of municipal judge to be $1,200 yearly, and court officer same as member of regular police force.-That section 21 of said chapter 115, Special Laws of Minnesota 1885, as amended by chapter 50 of the Special Laws of Minnesota for 1887, be and the same is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

Section 21. The salary of the judge of the municipal court shall be twelve hundred dollars ($1200) per annum to be paid from the city treasury in monthly installments, and the judge shall receive no other fee or compensation for his official services under this act.

Sec. 3. That section 22 of chapter 115, Special Laws of Minnesota for 1885, as amended by chapter 49, Special Laws of Minnesota for 1887, be and same is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

Section 22. The court officer and all police officers of said city are hereby vested with all the powers of constables under the statutes of Minnesota as well as at common law, and the court officer and police officers, in making service of any process, warrant or writ, or doing other duty in respect to causes in said municipal court, shall note and return to the court for collection such fees as are allowed to constables for like service in justice courts; and all fees, whether charged by the clerk or the court officer or any police officer, shall be collected by the clerk as costs, and shall by him be accounted for and paid over to the city treasurer of said city as hereinbefore provided.

Service of all process, warrants and writs issued out of said