The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-25
THE ENFORCEMENT ACT.

An Act to enforce the right of citizens the Unite
States to vote in the several States Of this Union
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
senatves of the United States OF America in Con
gress assembled, That all citizens of the United
States who are or shall be otherwise qualified by law
to vote at any election by the people in any State
Territory, district, county, city, parish township,
school district municipality, other territorial SUBJ
division, shall be entitled and allowed to vote at all
such elections without distinction of race, color
previous condition of servitude; any constitution,
law, custom, usage, or regulation of any State or
Territory, or by or under its authority to the
trary Notwithstanding.
SEQ. 2. And be it further enacted, That If by or
under the authority of the constitution or laws of
any State the laws of any Territory, any is
shall be requ ed to be done prere qusi 10 or quail
fcation for voting, and by such constitution laws
persons officers shall be charged with the
performance of duties in furnishing to citizens an
opportunity to perform such prerequisite, to be-
qualified to vote, it shall be the duty of every
such person and officer to give to all citizens of the
United States the and equal opportunity to per-
form such prerequisite, and to become qualified to
vote without distinction of race, COLOR previous
condition of servitude and if any such person or
officer sha refuse knowingly omit to give full eff
forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred dollars to
the person aggreved thereby, to be recovered by an
action the case with full costs and such allowance
for counsel fees as the court shall deem just and
shall also, for every such offence, be doomed of
misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof be
fined not less than five hundred dollars, or be I'm.
prlSOneu HOT less IMAM one month and not than
one year, or both at the discretion of the court
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That whenever
by under the authority of the constitution or laws
of any State, or the laws of any Territory, any
Is shall be required to be done by any citizen as
prerequisite to qualify entitle him to vote, the
offer of any citizen to perform the required TO
be done as aforesaid shall If it fail to be carried into
execution by reason of the wrongful act or omission
aforesaid of the person or officer charged with the
duty of receiving permitting such performance or
offer to perform or acting thereon, be deemed and
"a a a n in 1au pf ~. and he
person so offering and failing aforesaid, and being
otherwise qualified shall BIO entitled to vote in the
same manner and to the same extent if he had in
fact performed such act; and any judge inspector
or other officer of election whose duty it is shall
be to receive count, certify, register report, give
effect to the vote of any such citizen who shall
wrongfully refuse or omit to receive, count certify
register report give effect to the vote of such cit
izen upon the presentation by him of his affidavit
stating such offer and place thereof and the of
the officer or person whose duty it was to act there
on, and that he was wrongfully prevented by
such person officer from performing such act,
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum
OF five hundred dollars to the person aggrieved there
by, to be recovered by action on the case, with
full costs and such allowance for counsel fees the
court shall deem just, and shall also for every such
offence be guilty of q misdemeanor, and shall,
conviction thereof, be fined not less than five hun
dred dollars, or be imprisoned less than one
month and not more than one year. or both, ut the
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That if
any person, by force, bribery, threats, intimi-
daton, or other unlawful MEANS shall him
combine and confederate with others to hinder,
delay prevent, obstruct, any citizen from doing
any act required to be done to qualify him to vote
from voting at any election as aforesaid such person
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the
of five hundred dollars to the person aggrevsd there
by, to be recovered by action on the case, with
full costs and such allowance for counsel fees the
court shall deem just and shall also for every such
offence be guilty of msdemeanor, and shall,
viction thereof be fined not less than five hundred
dollars, or be imprisoned not less than month
ahd not more than one year, both at the discre-
ton of the court.
SEC 6. And be it further enacted, That If any per
shall prevent, hinder, CONTROL intimidats,
shall attempt to prevent hinder, control, or intmi
date any person from exercising or in exercising the
right of suffrage to whom the right of suffrage is
secured or guaranteed by the fifteenth amendment
to the Constitution of the United States, by means
oil bribery threats threats of depriyng such per
son OF employment occupation, ofejecting such
person nom rented house, lands, or other property
by threats of refusing leases contracts
for labor, or by threats of violence to himself or
family, such person so offending shall be deemed
guilty of misdemeanor and shall on conviction
thereof be fined not less than five hundred dollars,
or be imprisoned not less than month and not
more than one year, or both at the discretion of
the court.
SEC 8. And be it further enacted That the district
courts of theUnitsd States, within their respective
districts shall have, exclusively of the courts Of the
several States cognizance of all crimes and offences
committed against the provisions of this act and
also, concurrently with the circuit courts of the
United States, OF all causes civil and criminal arts
ing under this act. except herein otherwise pro
yided and the Jurisdiction hereby conferred shall be
exercised in conformity with the laws and practice
governing United States courts and all crimes and
offences committed against the provisions of this
may be prosecuted by the indictment of grand
jury or in cases Of crimes and offences not Infamous
the prosecution may be either by indictment or in
formation filed by the district attorney in court
having Jurisdiction.