Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-03-20
THE REGISTRATION law,
As It Finally Passed the Legislature.
AN ACT TO REGULATE THE REGISTRATION
OF VOTERS.
Passed February 90, 1888.

Passed February 90, 1885.
Be it enacted by tile Legislature of IVest
Virginia:
l. There shall be appointed by the Gov
| ernor, from among the citizens most known
for loyalty, tirmness and uprightness, three
persons for each county residing therein, who
shall be styled the County Board of Regis
tranon, which board shall proceed to appoint
one loyal and upright person, to be styled the
Registrar, for each ward of the cities and in
corporate towns, and each township or dis
trlct of such county. The Registrar shall
register the white male citizens in his ward,
township or district, entitled to vote therein
according to the provisions of this act, in the
manner hereinafter provided and the men,
bers of the said board, and the registrars,
shall each, before entering upon the discharge
OF his duties, take the proper oath of office,
passed November sixteenth, one thousand
eight hundred and sixty three, which oath
sworn to as aforesaid, shall be subscribed by
the party and returned to, and fled by, the
recorder OF the county. Each member of
the said board, and each registrar, shall re-
celve two dollars for each day occupied and
required in discharging the duties of his
office. ANY vacancy in the county board or
in the office of registrar shall be filed as
hereinafter provided, any two Of said board
having power to act and perform all the du-
ties and functions of their office.
2. The Governor shall cause to be prepared
suitable books for the registration Of the
names of voters and facts required bv this
act, to be furnished to the county board of
registration and by them distributed to the
registrars OF their respective wards, townships
or districts The books aforesaid shall be so
arranged as to admit Of the alphabetical class
IfROf fINKN 1E' kl,1, q
parallel columns, on which shall be entered:
First: the name OF the person registered:
second, sworn; third. age; fourth, the place
of his birth; tim, the time of his residence
in the ward, township or district; sirth, time
ct residence in the State Seventh, if natural
lied, the date of the papers, and the court by
which issued.
j. Before any registrar shall register the
name of any person as qualified voter, ,ex-
cept as hereinafter provided, he shall be sat
isied of his qualifications heretofore pro-
vided by law, and if he has any doubt as to
such persons loyalty, he shall administer the
following afEdavit:
"-Township Off, County. to wit:
1, A. B., do solemnly swear that have not
since the first day of June, eighteen hundred
and sixty-one, voluntarily borne arms against
the United States, the rcorgunscd govern
ment of Virginia or the State of West Vir-
ginia that l have not voluntarily given aid.
comfort or assistance to persons engaged in
armed hostility against the United States. the
reOrgauized Government of Virginia or the
State Of West Virginia that I have not
sought, accepted, exercised or attempted to
exercise any office or appointment whatever,
under any authority or pretended authority
hostile or inimical to the United States, tho
reorganized Government of. Virginia or the
nf oct rIIOio fI,nk
the Constitution of the United States and the
constitution of this State and that I take
this oath freely without any mental reServa-
tion or purpose of evasion" Such affidavit
shall be subscribed by the party and sworn
to before the registrar, and returned with his
books TO the county board of registration, to
be fled by such board Provided that no
person who has heretofore volunteered in the
military service Of the United States or of
this State, and who has been, or NAV heres
after, be, honorably discharged therefrom,
shall be required to take the affidavit of vo-
ters provided by this act, or be rejected from
registration on account of any dsloyalty prior
thereto; bGt any person presenting an hon
orable discharge from the United States mil
itary service, if qualified as heretofore pro-
vlded by law, shall bo registered as a quail
fed voter.
And provided, further that eTory person
shall be registered who will be entitled to
vote at the first election occurring after the
registration by reason of his arriving at twen-
ty-one years of age before that time, or by
Teason of his having then resided for suffi-
cient length Of time in his election district,
provided that he is otherwise qualified ac-
cording to the provisions of this section.
f. The registrar shall not allow the name
of any foreign born resident or citizen, quail
flied as aforesaid, to be registered unless his
naturalization papers be produced and exhib-
tied to him, and by him endorsed with the
date of their exhibition, or upon satisfactory
proof that such person is naturalized enter
ing in the sixth column the facts and their
suf1ciency to constitute such person voter,
provided that this section shall not apply to
persons who came to this country under
eighteen years of age, or to persons who have
served in the armies of the United States or
OF this State, and been or shall be hOnorably
discharged therefrofn.
s. The registrar shall Immediately upon
receipt of notice Of his appointment, proceed
to register the names of all the qualified vo-
ters within his ward, township or district in
accordance with the provisions of this act,
and shall have such registration completed on
or before the fourteenth day of April, eigh-
teen hundred and siXty-six, and it shall be
the duty of the registrar to sit at some con-
venent place in his ward, township or dis
trict on Friday and Saturday of every week,
from the first Thursday in August to the
third Saturday of September, inclusive, for
the purpose of amending and correcting the
said registration, and he shall give notice of
the time and place of sitting, at least ten days
previous thereto. by posting printed notices
IN ten OF the most public places in his ward,
township tha Il g