essity of small territorial divisions, in which
the people may assemble for political purposes.

Sec.2. A state is divided into counties, and these are divided into towns
or townships. The people of every county and every town have power to
manage their local concerns. The corporate powers of counties and towns,
and the election and the powers and duties of county and town officers,
will be given in subsequent chapters.

Sec.3. The electors of the state meet every year in their respective towns
for the election of officers. Meetings for electing town officers are,
in a majority of the states, held in the earlier part of the year. Most
officers elected by the people, other than town officers, are chosen at
the general state election, which, in most of the states, is held in
October or November.

Sec.4. Elections are conducted by persons designated by law, or chosen by
the electors of the town for that purpose. It is their duty to preserve
order, and to see that the business is properly done. They are usually
called _judges of elections_, or _inspectors of elections_. Persons
also, (usually two,) serve as clerks. Each clerk keeps a list of the
names of the persons voting, which is called a _poll-list. Poll_, which
is said to be a Saxon word, signifies _head_, and has come to mean
person. Thus, so much a head means so much for every _person_ By a
further change it has been made to signify an election, because the
persons there voting are numbered. Hence, "going to the polls" has
obtained the same meaning as going to an election.

Sec.5. When the inspectors are ready to receive votes, one of them makes it
known by proclaiming with a loud voice, that "the polls are now open."
The inspectors receive from each voter a ballot, which is a piece of
paper containing the names of the persons voted for, and the title of
the office to which each of them is to be elected. _Ballot_, from the
French, means a little ball, and is used in voting. Ballots are of
different colors; those of one color signifying an affirmative vote, or
_yes_; those of another color a negative vote, or _no_. From this has
come the application of the word ballot to the written or printed ticket
now used in voting.

Sec.6. If no objection is made to an elector's voting, the ballot is put
into the box, and the clerks enter his name on the poll-list. If the
inspectors suspect that a person offering to vote is not a qualified
elector, they may question him upon