Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-10-11

The opinion OF the Attorney
General in regard to the regis
tration of voters is expressed in the
following letter to Governor Jerome
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OEFIcE,
LANSING, Sept, 9TH, 1852
HIS ErcolieRcy G00. DdUM III. Jerome.
DEAR SIR-Yours received, with letter
of Hon. j. X. Boies, relative to the con-
struction of the law of 1881, Act 142, re-
quiring a new registration of all the voters
of the State prior to the next general clcc-
ton, and every ten years thereafter, and
requesting my opinion rs to the proper con-
struction of the time within which such
registration should take place, many con-
STRUNG the law to require such to take
place at meeting of the board of regis
tration and at no other time, which would
in many of the larger townships be an inn
possibility. |, therefore, beg to give you
the following as my construction of the
law:
Sec. 176, G.. l.. 1871, as amended i'm Act
142, laws of 1881, provides that at the SEES
sions of the several boards of registration,
next preceding the general election to be
held in this State in the year 1882, and at
said sessions next preceding the general
election every ten years thereafter, there
shall be had and made an entirely new re-
gistration of the qualified electors of each
organized township and city in this State,
excepting the county of Wayne, etc.
This would seem to contemplate the
making of this new registration al the ses-
sions of the boards, at the time fixed by
law for their meetings, and il the above
provision stood alone doubts might arise as
to the proper time for "handing in names"
for registration; but by reading further on
in this act of 1881, the question will be
fully settled, for, after setting forth as above,
that new registration shall be had every
ten years at the sessions of the boards, and
excepting Wayne county and in certain
registration of every ten years. to be made
in the manner hereinbeiorc specified for
registration of qualified electors in town
ships after the year 1859"
The registration to be made this fall, and
that of every ten years thereafter, is there
fore to be made as provided for registra-
tons since 1859, which may be found in
Sec. 1863, c. L., 1871, wherein it provides
chat after the year 1869 it shall be the
right of any such qualified elector, residing
in the township, and entitled to vote at the
next election therein, and whose name has
not been registered, on any day except Sun
day, the days of the session of the board of
registration, and the days intervening be-
tween them and the next approaching cleo
ton, to apply to the township clerk, in
person, for the registration of his name, and
if, upon such examination as is required by
the section of this (Sec. 10, G. H., 1871, }
Al 4 L 4 1 al 4.
plicant is resident of the township, and
otherwise qualified and entitled to vote in
such township at the then next election to
be held therein, the name of such appli-
cant shall be written either by himself or
by the clerk, upon separate paper, to be
kept by the clerk, his residence described,
and the date of the entry noted" etc,
(which paper shall be before the board of
registration, for examination and review,
and the names of such persons appearing
thereon as the board shall he of opinion
are qualified electors at the then next cleo
ton, and entitled to vote thereat, may, by
some member of the board, and under their
direction be entered in the proper register
in the manner above set FORTH" etc.
Ii will thus be seen that electors need
not wait for the meetings of the registra-
ton boards, but may, as above stated, call
in person upon the township clerk, leave
their names with him, and thus secure their
registration.
am, therefore, Of the opinion that the
registration of names as above provided,
and as registered since 1859, will be valid,
and in accordance with the existing regis
tration laws, as amended in 1881.
Yours truly,
j. j. VAN RIPER,
Acknowledgement.