act or the subsequent adoption of township organization, as nearly as practicable in the same manner as government sections are numbered in a government township.

And at the first general election after the adoption of the township organization in any county in each city and each village having one thousand (1,000) inhabitants or over, one supervisor at large and one (1) additional supervisor for each four thousand (4,000) inhabitants therein, one (1) assessor, three (3) judges and two (2) clerks of election, and annually thereafter, and in each city and in each village having more than five hundred (500) inhabitants, two (2) justices of the peace and two (2) constables shall be elected at said election and every second year thereafter; Provided however, That in all cities of the metropolitan class there shall be six (6) justices of the peace and six (6) constables for each of said metropolitan cities, and no more. And in all cities of the first class having less than eighty thousand (80,000) and more than twenty-five thousand (25,000) inhabitants there shall be elected three (3) justices of the peace and three (3) constables for each of such cities, and no more. In each county having a population of eight thousand (8,000) inhabitants, or more, there shall be elected in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-nine (1879), and every four (4) years thereafter, a clerk of the district court in and for such county, and in each county having a population of less than eight thousand (8,000) inhabitants the county clerk shall be ex-officio clerk of the dtrict court and perform the duties devolving upon the officer by law.

Repealing clause.

All county, precinct, and township officers created by statute, or that may be hereafter created, shall be elected at such general election as may be provided in the law creating the office or offices. SEC. 2. That section seven (7) of chapter twenty-six (26) of the Compiled Statutes, entitled "Elections," as now existing, be and the same is hereby repealed.

Expense of ballots and cards of instruction.

AN ACT to promote the independence of voters at public elections,
to enforce the secrecy of the ballot and to provide for the printing
and distribution of ballots at public expense.

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

SECTION 1. All ballots cast in elections for public officers within this state shall be printed and distributed at public expense, as hereinafter provided. The printing of ballots and cards of instruction for the electors in each county, and the delivery of the same to the election officers, as hereinafter provided, shall be a county charge, the payment of which shall be provided for in the same manner as the payment of other county expenses; but the expense of printing and delivering the ballots and cards of instruction to be used in municipal elections shall be a charge upon the city or village in which such municipal election shall be held.

SEC. 2. Nomination of Candidates.-Any convention or primary meeting, as hereinafter defined, held for the purpose of making nominations to public office, and also voters to the number hereinafter specified, may nominate candidates for public office to be filled by election within the state. A convention or primary meeting within the meaning of this act is an organized assemblage of voters or delegates representing a political party which, at the last election before the holding of such convention or primary meeting, polled at least one per centum of the entire vote cast in the state, county, or other division or district for which the nomination is made. A committee appointed by any such convention or primary meeting may also make nominations to public office, when authorized to do so by resolution duly passed by the convention or meeting at which such committee was appointed. SEC. 3. All nominations made by such conven- Certificate of tion, committee, or primary meeting shall be certified as follows: The certificate of nomination, which shall be in writing, shall contain the name of the office for which each person is nominated, the name and residence of each person, and, if in a city, the street, number of residence, and of place of business, if any, and shall designate, in not more than five words, the party or principle which such convention, committee, or primary meeting represents. It shall be signed by the presiding officer and secretary of such convention, committee, or primary meeting, who shall add to their signatures their respective places of residence, and make oath before an officer, qualified to administer the same, that the affiants were such officers of such convention, com

nomination.

Same, where filed.

Nomination otherwise than

by convention or primary.

mittee, or primary meeting, and that said certificates and the statements therein contained are true to the best of their knowledge and belief. A certificate that such oath has been administered shall be made and signed by the officer before whom the same was taken and attached to such certificate of nomination. When the nomination is made by a committee, the certificate of nomination shall also contain a copy of the resolution passed at the convention or primary meeting which authorized the committee to make such nomination.

SEC. 4. Certificates of nomination of candidates for offices to be filled by the voters of the entire state, or any division or district greater than a county, including candidates for congress, shall be filed with the secretary of state, except as in this section otherwise provided. Certificates of nomination for all county, township, and precinct offices, including members of both branches of the legislature, shall be filed with the county clerk of the respective counties wherein the officers are to be elected, and in case the legislative district from which such candidate is to be elected embraces more than one county, then and in that case the certificates shall be filed with the county clerk of each county included in such district. Certificates of nomination for judges of the district court shall be filed with the county clerk of each county embraced in such judicial district. Certificates of nomination for municipal officers shall be filed with the clerks of the respective municipal corporations wherein the officers are to be elected.

SEC. 5. Candidates for public office may be nominated otherwise than by convention, commit

tee, or primary meeting in the manner following: A certificate of nomination, containing the name of a candidate for the office to be filled, with such information as is required to be given in certificates provided for in section three (3) of this act, shall be signed by electors residing within the district or political division in and for which the officer or officers are to be elected, in the following numbers: The number of signatures shall not be less than five hundred (500) when the nomination is for an office to be filled by the electors of the entire state, and need not exceed fifty (50) when the election is for an office to be filled by the electors of a city, county, district, or other division less than the state, and need not exceed twenty (20) when the nomination is for an office to be filled by the electors of a township, precinct, or ward; Provided, That the number of signatures need not in any instance exceed one-fourth (1) of the total number of voters when the nomination is for an office to be filled by the electors of a county, township, precinct, village, or ward, and that the said signatures need not all be appended to one paper. Each elector signing a certificate shall add to his signature his place of residence, his business, and his business address. Such certificate may be filed as provided for in section four (4) of this act, in the same manner and with the same effect as a certificate of nomination made by a party convention, committee, or primary meeting. Women qualified to vote for any public officer may sign nomination papers for candidates for such office.

nominations.

SEC. 6. No certificate of nomination shall con- Number of tain the names of more candidates for any office