The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-08
A YEARS RESIDENCE.
Unless You Have Been in the State
Twelve Months You Can't
Vote.
The Sixth Months Qualification
of the Registration Law
Repealed.
II You Are Not Registered by Oct. ID
You Cannot 'swear In" Your
Vote.

Numerous question: have been aaked since
the publication in The INDEPENDENT of an
article defining the qualification OF voters.
Some OF tho questioners believe that II Ia
not necessary for a voter to be in the state
a year before he can cast his ballot. This
impression most likely arises from the reg
istration law of 1889 which required only
six months residence. Here is a sample
query:
To The IN~DEPENDENT--In your issue OF
to-day you print the election laws which
state that you must be a resident OF Mon
tana one year. There is q pamphlet Of
election laws of the state of Montna around
here. On page 90. section 6. the oath
says a resident of Montana six months.
There Ia considerable talk as to which is
correct, a great many side both ways. Ii
you will please answer and tell how the
mistake was made, you will obliRe a num-
her Of voters. JOE s. ROBERT.
Townsend, Oct. 9. 1892.
The communication was submitted to
several lawyers of Helena who all said that
a voter must be a resident of the state for
one year before he can cast his ballot, as
prescribed by the constitution. which Of
course EeE1ALHA hA9 hl& moAtAb pRoNiSioh >
the registration law, upon its adoption.
This provision ia contained in article nine
OF the constitution. which is as follows. SO
far as the qualifications of electors at the
coming election are concerned:
Every male person of the age OF II wears
or over. possessing the following qualitca-
tions, shall be entitled to vote at all general
elections and for all officers that now are.
or hereafter may be, elective by the people
and upon all questions which may DO sub
mitted to the vote of the people: First. he
shall be a citizen of the United States;
eacond, he shall have resioed in this state
pne year Immediately preceding the cleo
tfon at which he offers to vote. and in the
town, county or precinct such time az may
be prescribed by law; provided, hrst, that
no person convicted of felony shall have
the right to vote unless he has been par
doned; provided. second, that nothing
herein contained shall be construed to
deprive any person of the right to vote who
has such right at the time OF the adoption
of this constitutions; provided. that after
the expiration of five years from the time
of the adoption Of this constitution no per-
son except citizens of the United States
shall have the right to vote.
For the purpose of voting no person shall
be deemed to have gained or lost a resi-
dence by reason of his presence or absence
while employed in the service of the state,
VI VA II . ososoSs WI 800
at any instition of learning, nor while kept
at any almshouse or other Asylum at the
public expense, nor while confined In any
public prison.
No soldier, seaman or marine in the army
or navy Of the United States shall be
deemed a resident of this state in oonse-
quence of being stationed at any military
or naval place within the same.
No idiot or insane person shall be entitled
to vote at any election in this state.
Upon all questions submitted to the vote
of the tax. payers of the state, or any politi-
cal division thereof, women who are tax
payers and possessed of the qualifications
for the right of suffrage required Of men by
this constitution shall equally, with men,
have the right to vote.
Registration closes Oct. 10, 1892, at II
O'Clock in the night, and unless the voters
are registered before that hour, no matter
whether they be qualified or not in all othel
respects, there is no legal or possible RICH
to vote on election day.
There is no such thing "a "swearing in
a vote on election day. That law apple
only to city elections held in April of eaol
year. 1t has no application to the election
next month.