Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Illinois - University Library

Xo^ix^iim I GRAND LODGE OF ILLINOIS, I. O. O. F. 303
Noble Grand, Secretary and Tellers shall, on the same evening, make
an abstract in triplicate of the votes cast for each candidate, attach
their signatures and the seal of the Lodge to same, and immediately
transmit one copy of said abstract to the Grand Master and one copy
to the Grand Secretary (and the Grand Secretary shall retain these
abstracts unopened until after the last day upon which abstracts may
be sent in, or August 1st). The Secretary of the Lodge shall retain
the remaining copy thereof in said Lodge and deliver the same to
the Representative of the Grand Lodge, who shall deliver it to the
Committee en Returns at the next session of that body. The Grand
Secretary shall, at the following session of the Grand Lodge, deliver
the said abstracts received by him to the Committee on Returns for
comparison with the report of the Grand Master.
Sec. 6. The Grand Master shall, on the second Tuesday in August,
call to his assistance three disinterested Past Grands, residents of
the city in which the Grand Master resides, and proceed to open and
count the votes for Grand Officers. If any of the returns shall be
irregular, or want any of the requisites prescribed in Section 5, the
Grand Master shall immediately transmit said irregular returns to
the Lodge or Lodges making said irregular returns, and call attention
to the irregularities, and request the correction of the same. After
having canvassed all correct returns and transmitted (if there be any)
said irregular returns as above prescribed, said board of canvassers
shall adjourn to a future date, not less than fifteen nor more than
thirty days, when they shall meet and complete the canvass. The
Past Grands having the highest number of votes shall be* declared
duly elected to the offices for which they were respectively nominated.
In the "event of a tie vote, the candidate receiving the votes of the
largest number of Subordinate Lodges shall be declared elected. In
the event of death, removal or declination of the candidate otherwise
to be declared elected, the candidate receiving the next highest number
of votes shall be declared elected. The Grand Master shall, imme-
diately after the vote has been canvassed, certify the result of the
count to the Grand Secretary, who shall notify the candidates of their
election.
Sec. 7. The returns from the several Lodges, together with the
tally sheet, properly certified to by the Grand Master and his assistants,
shall be sealed up and returned to the Grand Lodge at the commencement
of its next session, for revision and the correction of
errors, if any be found therein. Such returns, together with duplicate
returns held by the Grand Secretary, shall be referred to the Commit-
tee on Returns, who shall carefully examine the same and report to
the Grand Lodge.