The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-25
MEN WHO MAY VOTE.
Effect Of the New Wards and
Precincts.
REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES.
Questions Arising Under the Registration
Law-Absepce OF Power to Grant
Duplicates,

Law-Absepce OF Power to Grant
Duplicates.
- As the time approaches for the charter cleo.
ton, interest il aroused 90 to the effect
OF the registration law upon the proposed
reformation OF wards and precincts Briefly.
Il may be explained that those who registered
ana received 9 certificate for the last election,
OF who have registered since then. need not reg
is1er again. The only trouble like to arse in
tnat case Is as TO the changes of wards and pre-
cincfs. The new boundaries have been pub
lsned BY the PosT-ISTELLiGENcER and viii be
pub isaed again before the election, and the
voter can see where his new polling place is.
City Clerk Ferris is having new books made out
ana transferring the names of registered voters
In such shape as to cause the least inconven.
tence 10 voters
IL must be understood that the city council is
left by the statute to do this it considers best
because while IL says that the voting ON the
charter must take place by wards and precincts
as laid down by the cnarrer TO be voted upon, it
makes no provision for the machinery By which
that is TO be done.
The following letter, pertinent to the subject
OF registration. has been received by the Posi-
IsTELLIGEScEs from the city clerk of city in
Washington:
''Your paper states that it is out of the power
OF City Clerk Ferris TO issue duplicates TO those
who had lost their certificates. As city clerk OF
tnis place have hunted in vain the code. We
are all at sea on the question aud will be much
Obliged for any information on the subject"
There Is no provision made for Issuing dupIi-
Gates: the law Is silent on the subject. The only
remedy in such a case seems to be that the voter
sns present himself a, the polls and make oath
tnat he Is the person described on the registra-
ton book a. recorded by name and address. II
VIII then be af the peril o; the election judge to
refuse his vote, because the possession of a GER
uncafe II not made the pfoof of Qusl fcstiOn,
but the entry on the book is prima facie evil
dence OF his right to VOTE
section states this very plainly: "If such
citizens are otherwise legally qualified voters at
sucn election and nave caused them selves to
be register d, sucn regist asion shall be prima
iacie tyid nee of the rigas of such CT Gems TO
yot at any election heti in such city
preceding the drsr Monday OF January next
thereafter"
There is no mention OF any certificate as
requisit ,xceps in section ., which says: The
reg stration shall rot be conclusive evidence of
the right OF any re istered person to vote. but
said person may be challenged and required 10
establish his right at the polls in the manner
as may be required ~ law. And every person
when Offering his vote snail. if challenged,
hand his registration certificate to one of the
tu6g OF election, who snail receive and fl e the
ssm : and at he close OF said election deliver
1880 ~
TO such city, town, county or state officer as by
law provided"
The certificate is only called for in case of
challenge and is evidently intended to facilitate
Identification and TO prevent PRESERVATION. #
voter mo has lost his certificate should present
himself before the judg. and descr be himself
SO as TO make his identity clear, make oath that
he has lost his c RI fcate and he accompanied
by two registered voters of the same precinct
who would swear to his identity. it 10 doubtful
If any judge of election would risk q suit for
damages by refusing to accept that voters bal
lot This Is mere matter of opinion. No pos
tive statement can be made until test case has
been submitted to the cour .. 1t is q feature of
legislation which needs early attention at the
hands OF the state Legislature.
There is no a.iusion to The qualifications OF Q
voter. to registration or TO the certificate in the
new ballot Law, which assumes that the person
Offering to vote Is Equal. fed voter"
A hypothetical case affords q question which
the present law does not answer. II voter is
challenged he must surrender his certificate 10
the judges. suppose another election take
place before the expiration of the registration
year. Does that voter lose his vote because he
has surrendered his certificate, whether the
challenge was justifaole or not? And a Sc
quent question is, what Is he to do about IL If
the city clerk may not give him q duplicate?
Even IL he Wee iustifably challenged on the
ground that he had. for instance, not been a
would not necessarily be a disqualification at
the lat er election.
The registration books arc now open at the
city hail and any qualified voter may register
for the bond election and also 70. the charter
election. 1t would be q wise precsution for a
voter TO register on both books and secure
memorandum of his ward and precinct in each
case.
The penalty for false registration isdefined By
the law as follows:
section is. If any person shall falsely person
ate another and procure the person SO person
ated to be registered, II any person shall rep
resent his name to the city or town clerk or
officer of registration to be different from what
it actually Is, and Cause such name to be regis
tereo, or If any person shall cause any name to
be placed upon the registry lists other than IN
the manner provided ia this act, he shall, upon
conviction. be punished BY confinement and
hard sbor In the penitentiary not more than
Eve nor less than one year"
Senator Kinnear, the father of the registration
and election bills was interviewed TN the SUBJ
iect recently. He stated that the first OF the
series of election laws was the primary election
law. un ,er which any party may hold primaries.
Primary elections may be held in the same way
as other elections. ytter is asked whether he
is Republican, and on bis statement that he
is, is allowed 10 vote. II he lies about it he is
subject to the same penalties as are provided in
the law regarding other elections.
The qualifications for voters, regarding which
some doubt has existed, are that the man must
be = citizen OF the Uaited states, and must have
resided in the state one year. in the county
ninety days. and in the city. town, ward or pre-
cinct thirty days Immediately preceding the
election.
II is provided further in the consti tuition that
all persons who. 81 the time Of the adoption of
the constitution were qualified electors OF the
territory, shall be electors As the requirement
uLder the territorial law was six months resi-
dence in the state. and more than an additional
SIX months have elapsed since the ado ption of
the constitution all persons who qualified
under this proviso are qualified in any case
under be general provisions OF the law. Thus
this provision is practically out oil date.
The constitution also provides: "For the
purpose of voting and eligibility 10 Office, no
person snail be deemed 10 have eainea a resi-
d nee by reason OF his presence or lost 1t by
reason Of his absence while in the civil or mill.
NOR while a studs.t at any institution OF learn
ing. nor while Kept at the pubic expense at
any ioorhouse or asylum, nor wni4e confined
in any public PRISON, nor while engaged III the
nav.gs,i, OF the waters OF the state or the
United States or OF the nigh seas"
citizen who removed from one precinct
TO another after registration must apply 10 the
Ct clerk 20 have the change noted on the poll
dorsed on his certificate; but this mus. be done
b~Iore the tea Gays before the election, during
which time toe registration book Is closed
DEMOCRATIC RECEPTION.