Return Day of an Election Law and Legal Definition
Return day of an election is the day following an election upon which a board of elections actually commences a canvass; or, rather, the day on which under the law they ought to do so.
"The phrase return day has been long a familiar phrase in legal practice. They are called days in bank, that is, days of appearance in the court of common bench. They were stated days in the term on which writs were returnable. These were original writs by which suits were commenced. If the defendant did not then appear and submit to the jurisdiction, process was issued to compel him to do so. In analogy the last day on which any process can be returned is called return day; or, in case of an order to show cause, the day of the hearing. [Carlson v. Burt, 111 Cal. 129 (Cal. 1896)].
