**OFFI& OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**

**AUSTIN**

YZrch 17, 1939

HonorableXillism L. Kerr DistrictAttorney 109th JudicialElstrictof Texas Pecos,Texas

**Dear Sir:** 

that &er the recent rullng~of.~tbe 'PiKsrkaaa

Coart
of Appeal8 ~5.n the ea8e ef w0a V. State, 120 8.ri8.(2d) 955, it wuld not be proper to permit d ?'i%W to **vote** ebs+nte6while in tile **COtlQt$,~ Such**  **VOt@,S -Got&m** 
**to be**  **a ’** **baent on**  **eleotfoxi day.**  **hasmu& as**  the **clerk** itoes dot~rantt&refuse the requeet**of** a bona 1iQe voter it'he is **entitled** to vote I wot&t apprmdate your adrl8in.g

fae, in that regar& ,.'~Hon. ~illiaa L. Kerr, lierch 17, 1999, Page 2



### “Al80, r.!xould the clerk per&t an absenteevoter to vote if such voter has no exemptioncertificate, such voter havingbecome 21 years of age lc, June of 1938, and one such voter became of aEe February lst, 1939, the county involvedbeing a countywith populationlesa than 10,000.


### *Anelection is SOon to be held in which the clerk is called upon to determnine the questionsabove end since the mattq Involve8much public interest, IshaU appreai+e pu.r advW.ngnm Innradlate&y.*

The **seanid** questbm ash6 by .you :n&itss to the duiy of the ooanty afbrk to'pcumit a mter?kW scgaS,ao~exempt%oxl aertifioatem to~~:%mte~abseutee. >Zf the rOt+r 43btfklnad am Sxeaption certiihhe, **but** ha8 **b8t or,**  **Sd.Ehid ’** **.it, U&8x**  **~ubt%%visien**
2 of &t,iele 2956, RevisedCivfi Statutea, a8 ameoded, such votermay present hL8 afiidttrit o t&t street to the eofflltq~ alerk,who must ~tdtan permithim to vofe atraer&es, Xf however, a8 i8, bitplied

frust yuur letter,the Voter fatled. ti ebtib BP eXenptiOQ CtWttiiUate 88 PrOtided by ‘&XIV, h8 18 not entftba to vote absentee,You .&ate in your letter that the county involved la a co&q ulth a populationor .leeer than 10,000 inhabitants.

The applicablestatute 1s Senate l3Ul Wo. 2s8, tit8 44th LegiShtlES; 88&ar &f~8iOQ, Chapter 292, Page 686, Section 1, approvedMay 17, 1925, uhiah added A.rUole 296&i ~~ath~8Eev&80d b%Vil Stat&Se, and WhfUbp~lXW~de8 in Part (Ls

:Hon. William L. Kerr,March 17, 1939, Page S

"Everypersomnot subjectto the %~tZqUaliriOatiOnEI set out in Article 2954 of the Revi8ed Civil **Statutes** of 1925, who Goes not reside in a city of ten thouecnd inhabitants or r",ore,

and who is exempt froic

the papent of a poll tax by reason of the faot that he or she ha8 not yet reacheU the age of twenty-one year8 on the $'irst day of JanuaryprecedicrIts levy, or who la exempt from the pagment of o poll tax because he or she
was not a residentof the State on the fir&, day of JanuarypreoedingIt8 levy, but who shall have slnoe beoome ellglbleto vote by reamon of 1-h -of re%l&moe or age, shall* on or bsfon the thirty-itret day of January **of** the y@ar In whloh he or she offer% to vote, obtain from the As8ossor wd Oolleoforof taxes for the oounty of his or her reeidsrure

a oertifloate

of exeaiptlon

from the paymexlt

of a.po3.l.

tax, fina

no suohperson *o has failed or refusedto obtaiu su9h 

### asrtlfioat% af exeaptiw .fran the paymat of a poll tax s&all be allowed to voterw

Artlole 2909, Reviffaed aiyir Btatutar,&S&B, prorides that if-

&aU aot be neoessaxy

### fora 

### peram whetlaer, notTWJAO In a olby'havinga populationof 3,ooO or mor$ to obtain an aemp$Sa&toetilfioate where such eman retdie the a&% of l3l yele8 wfter ths flrat sag at %anuazyand Uforr tA0 day of a do~owing sleetion**at** whlah he or she w&her to Yot6ba **Thie ehatute**  **appears to**  **be** ln **direot oonflla$t**  **with tie**  **pro vl%ie~%**  in.

**Artiole 2962a**  **quoted** above that *l@c# suoh psxson

. who ha8 failed or refused to obtain such o~srtlfloats of exemption from the payfmtt 0r a poll tar Bheu b8 filiowia to vote.' Glnue Article 2969, Bevleed 01~11 **Statutcm, adopts6**  in **1922;** la In direct and lrrsconollable eonfllotwkth Artlole 29Wla, Baleed Clrfl Btatutes,whioh was pemued by the Legislature lu 1935,Artlule 2?6Q la rqmalea by aeaeeeary lmpliaation.

Martin v. Sheppard,I.29 **Tex.llO,** 102 **S.W,(W)** 1036; Tomsend Y.. Terrell,118 Tex. 463, 16 ?.Wi(2d)lO63; Rqpvz.he v. St&b, 47 Tar. Or. 46, 84 8.W. BSe$ **9t. Leula**  **& Bouthwerstern**  **Ry. Co.**  **v. Xay,**  **85** Tex.558, 22 6, 5. 665.Bon. WilfiaE L. Kerr, T%arch 17, 1939, Page 4

For the reasonsstated,we are of the opinion that the County Clerk sftiuld refuse to perdt a person who~has foil& to obtain an exemptioncertificateto cast en absentee ballot, even thou& such parsonwould have been le&ly entitl& to obtain an exemptioncertificateif he !la& rmde proper and finely applicationthezefor.

Your3 very truly