ART. 33] ELECTIONS. 257

a little below the shelf hereinafter mentioned. Each compart-
ment shall have a shelf within the same and shall be provided
with proper supplies and conveniences for marking the ballots,
and a guard-rail shall be constructed in said polling place so as to
divide the space occupied by the judges of election and other
officials and persons permitted by law to be within the same from
the public; said guard rail shall have an entrance and exit
therein, and shall also be so constructed and placed that only-
persons who are inside said rail can approach within five feet of
the ballot-boxes. The arrangement of such polling places shall
be such that neither of the ballot-boxes nor the voting booths or
compartments shall be hidden from view of those just outside of
said guard rail. The number of such compartments shall not be
less than one for every one hundred voters qualified to vote at
such polling place, and not less than five in any city, and not less
than three in any polling place in any county. No person other
than voters engaged in preparing or depositing their ballots and
the election officers shall be permitted to be within said rail,
unless by authority of the judges of elections, for the purpose of
keeping order and enforcing the law. The ballot-box shall be
within said rail and not more than six feet therefrom. The
expense of providing such booths or compartments and guard-rail
shall be a public charge, and the same, after the election is over,
shall be preserved by the supervisors of elections for subsequent
use.

1896, ch. 202.

60. -As soon as the polls are opened and immediately before
any ballots are received by the judges, they shall open every
ballot-box used or to be used, and having taken therefrom the
poll books, ballots and all the blanks and stationery provided by
the supervisors of elections, they shall permit all persons rightfully
present to examine such ballot boxes, and every part thereof, so
that they may be satisfied as to the structure thereof, and that
such ballot-box is empty. The ballot-box shall then be locked
and the key delivered to one of the judges, and shall not again
be opened until the closing of the polls; and until such closing
each ballot-box shall be kept constantly in sight of all persons
entitled to be present, and shall be so placed that the voter
offering his ballot and the judges and clerks and all persons enti-
17