U.S. Marine Corps - Small Wars Manual (1940 Edition)

Chapter XIV. SUPERVISION OF ELECTIONS.

SECTION IV
NATIONAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS

					Par.	

Members anc istaff				14-29
Duties				14-30
Secretary				14-31
Complaints, appeals, and petitions				14-32
Assembly				14-33

14--29. Members and staff.-a. The membership of the National Board of Elections includes the following:

1. President.-The Chairman of the Electoral Mission. He is designated as President of the National Board of Elections by the executive of the foreign country concerned. He is legally inducted into office in accordance with the laws of that country, as are also the two political members,
2. Member.-This member is designated by one of the major political parties and represents that political party on the National Board of Elections.
3. Member.-This member is designated by the other major political party and represents that party on the National Board of Elections.

b. The Staff of the National Board of Elections consists of a secretary, assistant secretary, translators, and clerks. The number of translators and clerks is governed by the need for their services, and will vary with the size of the country, the number of voters, and the electoral laws of the country.

c. In order that the work of the National Board of Elections may continue without interruption, substitutes for all members are provided to take the place of any members who are temporarily unable to serve during meetings. The substitutes are designated by the major political parties of the country concerned, and are legally inducted into office in accordance with the laws of the country in the same manner as provided for regular members. The Vice Chairman of the Electoral Mission is designated as Vice President of the National Board of Elections. Although only one secretary and one assistant secretary are normally required to carry on the work of the National Board of Elections, it is convenient to have substitutes available who have been legally designated and inducted into office.

14-30. Duties.-The National Board of Elections exercises general supervision of the election and is the final authority on all matters pertaining to the election. It issues interpretations and instructions for the proper execution of the electoral laws. The National Board of Elections hears all complaints that require its decision. When such action is indicated, complaints should be investigated initially by the political party concerned and then presented to the National Board of Elections by the responsible head of that political party. Petitions and appeals presented for action by responsible citizens must be made in accordance with the law of the country, and in a manner that will uphold the dignity of the National Board of Elections.

14-31. Secretary of the National Board of Elections.-This office is generally filled by a commissioned oficer of the United States naval or military forces. He is charged with keeping the record of the minutes of all meetings of the National Board of Elections. He prepares all correspondence emanating from the National Board of Elections, and maintains a record of all incoming and outgoing correspondence of that Board. Since the National Board of Elections does not have a communication system of its own, the communication system available to the Electoral Mission is employed to handle the communications of the Board. The Secretariat of the National Board of Elections should be entirely apart from the offices of the Electoral Mission, but should be convenently located with relation to the latter in order that the necessary contact among the various staff members may be readily maintained. The Secretary has an assistant secretary, and one or more stenographers for clerical assistance. When the offices of the Electoral Mission and the National Board of Elections are separated by several city blocks, it is desirable that the Secretary of the National Board of Elections have his office at the headquarters of the Electoral Mission. The Assistant Secretary of the National Board of Elections is in charge of the office of the National Board of Elections. Matters requiring the signature of the Secretary of the National Board of Elections are sent to the latter's office at the headquarters of the Electoral Mission. It should be clearly understood that the Secretary of the Electoral Mission does not perform a dual function as Secretary of the National Board of Elections. These are completely separate functions.

14-32. Complaints, appeals, and petitions.-a. All complaints, appeals, and petitions should be presented through the regular official channels. Subordinate agencies should make every effort to settle such matters without the necessity of forwarding them to the next higher agency for action. To further their own interests, complainants will often attempt to take their complaints to the highest authority that will listen to them. Thus, if a complainant succeeds in presenting a complaint before the President of the National Board of Elections, and the latter refers the complaint to a Chairman of a Departmental Board of Elections for an investigation, the complainant will have a tendency, thereafter, to ignore the Chairmen of the Departmental Boards of Elections. Much correspondence and time will be saved if the higher authority refuses to accept complaints, appeals, and petitions when it is obvious that a subordinate agency can handle the matter.

b. When complaints, appeals, and petitions are received through the mail, direct, by the President of the National Board of Elections, they should be returned to the originator with instructions that they be taken up with the proper subordinate authority in order that they may be received through regular official channels. This will generally mean that the originator will be instructed to submit his complaint, appeal, or petition to a Departmental Board of Elections. In order that a record may be made of all such matters, oral complaints, appeals, and decisions should not be accepted. The originator should be instructed that all such matters must be submitted in the form of a written document before action can be taken.

c. Members of the staff of the headquarters of the Electoral Mission, who are personally acquainted with the leading politicians, must be particularly careful to prevent such acquaintanceship from being imposed upon by the politicians. It is to be expected that the latter will attempt to register complaints with the members of the staff of the headquarters of the Electoral Mission with the expressed desire that such staff member make a personal investigation. If such complaints are received, they normally will have to be referred to a Chairman of a Departmental Board of Elections to investigate, and such request should go through the President of the National Board of Elections. This will tend to overburden the Secretariat of that Board, and violates the principles laid clown in paragraph 14--32, above. When staff members of the Electoral Mission receive such requests, they should tactfully, but firmly, refuse to accept the complaint and should suggest that the complaint be taken directly to the Chairman of the Departmental Board of Elections concerned. The same principle applies to the acceptance of complaints, appeals, and petitions by the Chairman of a Departmental Boarcl of Elections, when it is obvious that the matter is not to be handled originally by a Chairman of a Cantonal (District) Board of Elections. A strict compliance with the instructions contained in this paragraph will simplify many of the problems arising in connection with the electoral laws and electoral procedure.

14-33. Assembly.-The National Board of Elections should be furnished a place for holding its sessions. The location should be such as to furnish complete privacy. The space furnished should be in keeping with the dignity of the high office of the National Board of Elections, and should be free from the curiosity of the general public. The main room for the holding of sessions should be sufficiently large to accommodate a limited number of spectators. Provision should be included for the maintenance of complete privacy during secret sessions. In order that the Secretariat of the Board may occupy offices convenient to the Board while in session, it will often be most convenient to use a private residence of the better class as headquarters of the National Board of Elections. In some cases, the National Board of Elections may be more conveniently located in a commercial building such as an office building. In the latter case, the maintenance of privacy will be more difficult. The headquarters of the National Board of Elections should be within one or two blocks of the headquarters of the Electoral Mission, when such is practicable. The two offices should never be in the same block or under the same roof, in order to prevent interference with the proper performance of duty by both groups due to the close intermingling likely to ensue.