The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-16
For Voting Out of Your
Ward or District.
Why Many Citizens Are Hav-
ing Names Transferred.
Law Now in Force is Being Very
Generally Complied With.

An unusually large number of citizens
are applying to the board OF canvassers
and registration to have their names
transferred to other voting districts than
the ones on which they now appear.
These transfers are made necessary by
changes in residence and the voters are
displaying commendable activity in
complying with the law, which on this
subject is very explicit and at the same
time provides severe penalties for those
who vote in other wards and districts
than those in which they reside.
Until within comparatively short
time citizens generally paid little heed to
the matter of having their names trans
ferred when they made change of resi-
dence. 1T frequently happens that citi-
zen would reside in one part of the city
and vote in another, either because he
preferred to do SO or because he would
not take the trouble to have his name
transferred. Little attention was paid to
such cases, but since the passage Of ths
present law In May, 1883, and especially
since the establishment of the Loard OF
canvassers, there has been a decided
change for the letter. As the statute now
stands the citizen who fails to have mis-
name transferred TO the ward and dis
trict in which he lives may
not only find himself disfranchised
but liable to prosecution IL he votes or
attempts TO vote in the ward or district
ON which he has removed. Here Is the
provision of the statute on this subject:
Every person, who in any election
shall frauduitntly vote or attempt to
vote, not being qualified, notwithst
ing his name may be on the voting list at
the polling place where he shall so ote
or attempt TO vote; or who hall fraudn-
lentIy vote upon the name of any other
person, or, having yotsd in one town,
ward or voting district, shall vote or at
tempt to vote in the same or in another
town, ward or voting district, or who
shall fraudulently vote or attempt to vote
in town, ward or voting DISTRICT other
than IN the town, ward or voting district
wherein he has his residence or home at
the time of his voting or attempting to
vote, shall be punished by fine OF not
less than s100 nor more than $780, or by
Imprisonment not less than 60 days nor
more than one year, or by both, such fine
and imprisonment in the discretion OF the
court, and no person after conviction OF
such offense shall hereafter be permitted
TO exercise the privilege OF voting for any
military or civil officer"
1t Will be seen, therefore. that II is es-
sential for every citizen who changes his
residence to notify the board of canvas
sers and registration at once, SO that he
may not make himself lis BILE to The heavy
NntCn iduuIc W QO 80
may draw upon him. 1t is claimed by
some citizens that this law is unconstitu-
tional, but none of those who hold this
opinion is willing to have the question
tested in their individual cases.
Under the system adopted by the board
of canvassers and registration there Is not
likely to be any voting on dead mems
names. Indeed, in this respect the sys-
TEN in use for striking from the list
names of deceased electors is almost per-
feet. First OF all the commissioners scan
very closely tn obituary notices in all
the papers published in the city. When
the name of voter is found in the LIST
a note is made of the fact and at the end
of each month the list of deceased voters
obtained from the newspap RS is CON-
pared with the official returns of deaths
in the Office of the city registrar. BY
this method absolute accuracy is secured
and the names of departed voters are at
once sticken from the list. This Is much
better than the system in vogue prior TO
the establishment of the board of can
vassers and registration when the canvass
ers in certain instances refused to remove
the name of dead elector except ON q
sworn statement that he had passed to the
gr, at beyond.