The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-23
The Registration OF Voters.


the spring elections, for city, ward and town
officers, yet the only exception from its pro-
visions made, is in the case of township
elections, when registry of the voters is
not requisite. But this spring, registry
of all the voters in the State will be made,
as County Commissioners are to be chosen
on the same day as township officers.
The registry law will be very oppressive
in its operations upon the people of the
State, but more particularly upon the voters
of the country districts. In cities where
the election districts comprise but small
area, so much inconvenience will not be ex-
perienced. But we are perfectly satisfied,
that after years trial of this scheme /" to
preserve the purity of the ballot box" as it
has been misnamed, all parties will be glad
to abandon it.
The following is the section requiring a
registry of the voters:
Sec. 5. 1t shall be the duty of the judges of
election in each and every election district in
the State, at least ten days before any election,
to make list OF the names of all persons who
are entitled to vote in their election Districts
respectively at such election, and which said
list shall contain the surnames of such persons
in alphabetical order. Three copies of the
said list so made out as aforesaid, shall at least
ten days before such election, be posted in
three public places in each election district,
together with notice of the time and place
when and where the said judges of election
will be present for the purpose of making all
necessary corrections in said list. 1t shall be
the duty of the said judges of election. on each
Wednesday next preceding such election, and,
if necessary, for the next three days, from the
hour of nine in the forenoon to four in the af-
ternoon, and for two hours next preceding the
opening of the polls on the day of such cleo.
ton. to be present at the place appointed for
the holding of such election in their respective
election districts, for the purpose of making
all necessary corrections in the said list In
making such corrections it shall be the duty of
the said judges of election to insert upon the
said list the additional names of all persons
properly shown to be entitled to vote at such
election and to erose from the said list the
names of all persons properly shown not to
be entitled to vote at such reelection. 1t shall
be the duty of the said judges of election
in first making out the said list, to place
upon the same the names of all per.
sons known by said judges to be entitled to
vote at such election in their election districts
respectively, and no others, and to essist in
ascertaining the names of all persons entitled
said judges of election to consult the poll lists
used at the last preceding election in their cleo.
ton districts respectively, and also the assess
ment roll of their election districts respectively,
of the last preceding assessment. In making
the final corrections of the said list aforesaid,
to ascertain who are entitled to vote at such
election, the said judges of election shall be
governed by the rules and regulations herein.
after for that purpose prescribed, and at such
upon the said list at the time of opening the
polls, and the vote of no person shall be reject
ed whose name is upon the said list at the time
of opening the polls Provided, If any person
offers to vote at such election whose name is
not upon the said list as aforesaid and who is
by the said judges known to be entitled to vote
at such election, but whose name has been
accidentally omitted from the said list, then the
name of such person shall be added to the said
list, and the said person shall be allowed to
vote, but in such case an entry shall be made
opposite the name of such person of the fact
that the said name was inserted on said list af-
ter the opening of the polls.
We hope every voter will see that his
name is on the list. 1t is thought by some
that the above section is unconstitutional,
and we hope the courts will be called on to
pass upon its constitutionality before fall,
but in the meantime, let the registration OF
voters be energetically and thoroughly
made.
The provision in reference to t, registra-
ton of voters comes already in conflict with
article seven of the Constitution. Section
one of that article says, that every male
person of the age of twenty-one years or up
wards, belonging to either of the following
classes, who shall have resided in the United
States one year, and in this State four
months next preceding any election, shall be
entitled to vote at such election, in the elec-
ton district of which he shall at the time
have been for ten days resident" Now,
the election law imposes an additional quail.
fcation upon the elector, in requiring him to
have his name registered. Section three of
the same article says, that for the purpose
OF voting, no person shall be deemed to have
lost residence by reason of his absence
while employed in the service of the United
States, nor willie engaged upon the waters
of this State or of the United States, nor
while student of any seminary" etc.
Many instances will arise under the
operation of the registry law, where per.
sons whose right to vote is guaranteed
under the above provision of the Con-
stitutlon, will be denied the exercise of
that right by partizan judges, on the
ground that they are not registered. Sec
ton seven of the same article of the Consti.
tuition, says that every person who by the
provisions of this article, shall be entitled to
vote at any election, shall be eligible to
any Office" &C., &c. Will it not happen
frequently, that persons whose right to hold
Office is thus defined, will be denied the
right to vote, because of bis failure to com.
ply with the registration law? To quote
from the Times =" We shall see."