HARRY W. NICE, GOVERNOR. 1283

close of the polls in the presence of such candidates or electors
as wish to attend.

SEC. 28. CHECKING THE RETURNS — VALID AND INVALID
BALLOTS. At the central counting place the ballot boxes shall
be opened and the numbers of ballots found therein recorded
and compared with the records sent from the corresponding
voting places. The records thus compared shall be made avail-
able to the public with notations explaining any corrections
made therein. If any discrepancy appears which cannot be
reconciled it shall be shown on the record. All ballots found in
the ballot boxes which bear no evidence of having been im-
properly cast shall be accepted. The ballots in each ballot box
shall also be examined for validity and those which are found
to be invalid or blank shall be separated from the rest. The
number of valid ballots from each voting place and the total
number of valid ballots shall be recorded. A ballot shall be
held invalid if the voter has voted for more than five candi-
dates, or if it contains any work, mark or other sign apparently
intended to identify the voter. Every ballot not thus invalid
shall be counted, whether marked according to the directions
printed on it or not. No ballot shall be held invalid because it
is marked in ink or pencil different from the one supplied, at
the voting place, or because the names of candidates thereon
for whom the voter did not mark a choice have been stricken
out. These same rules shall apply to ballots used in special
elections.

SEC. 29. SUPERVISION. Every regularly nominated candi-
date shall have the right to be present during the entire count,
with facilities for examining all operations closely and for
keeping all the ballots or their containers in view when the
counting is not in progress. He shall have the right to desig-
nate in writing an alternate to act in his place when he may
be absent. Representatives of the press and, so far as may be
consistent with good order and with convenience in counting,
the general public shall also be given every facility for wit-
nessing the count.

SEC. 30. PRESERVATION OF BALLOTS. All the ballots cast at
each election of the Council, whether valid or invalid, shall be
preserved by the town clerk until the term of the Councilmen
elected thereby has expired. All ballots cast at any other
municipal election shall be preserved for two months.

SEC, 31. VOTING MACHINES. The Council may by ordinance
provide for the use of voting machines in municipal elections.
Any election in which they are so used shall be as valid as if