# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S189
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

14th Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1914. 189

an absolute majority is required — a name is struck and a new ballot
taken, and this continues until an absolute majority is reached.

§ 10. After the election of the Vice-Presidents has taken place, it
shall be determined, by a further ballot, which of them shall be the
first Vice-President, or the second, third, and so on, in such a way
that the one who has the highest number of votes is the first
Vice-President — possibly the successor to the office of President.
Depending on the lower vote count, it is then determined who is to serve
as second, third, and so on, Vice-President.

§ 11. The election of all other synodical officers shall take place
immediately after the election of the President and the Vice-Presidents,
in such a way that the names of all candidates proposed by the committee
and accepted by the Synod (see § 2 of the Regulation) are placed by the
election board on a single ballot and sent to be printed. — An exception
to this applies to such candidates, or persons currently in office, who,
recommended by the nominating committee for election by acclamation of
the Synod, have been immediately elected by the latter in accordance
with the recommendation.

§ 12. The printed ballots thus bearing the names of all candidates —
always in double the required number — shall be handed to the voting
members of the Synod at an afternoon session, one copy to each. Voters
are permitted to take the ballot given to them to their lodgings and
make their choice there at leisure [by crossing out half of the names,
whose bearers they do not wish as synodical officers*].

§ 13. At the following morning session, the ballots are collected by the
election board and counted in the sacristy of the church, or in a room
set apart from the Synod's meeting place, and the result of the election
is brought to the Synod's attention at the following afternoon session
by the chairman of the election board.

§ 14. As soon as the elections begin, all voting members of the Synod
are to gather in the middle section of the church, or of the Synod's
meeting place, so that time is saved and other inconveniences avoided.

Amendment.*

From § 12 the words "by crossing out half of the names, whose bearers
they do not wish as synodical officers" were struck. This deletion was
meant not only to remove a considerable ambiguity, but also to make it
possible in future to use a ballot on which the names of the unwanted
candidates are not crossed out, but the desired ones instead marked with
an × (as on the usual civil election ballots).