The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1898-04-02
SUFFRAGE SETTLED
The Constitutional Con-
vention Makes a Mighty
Effort.
And Finally Agrees Upon q
Plan for Ballot.

Elan Tor bal1OC.
Here is the new plan of suffrage in its
entirety, as adopted by the constitutional
conventions:
Everv male citizen of this state, and of
the United States, native born or naturalized
not less than FL years old, and possessing the
following qualifications, shall be an e1ector'
and shall be entitled to vote at any election
in this state by the people as may be herein
otherwise provided.
Section I. He shall have been an actual
bona 6de resident of this state at least two
years, and of the parish one year,
and Of the .precinct in which he
offers to vote six months next
preceding the e1ection; provided, that no
persons removal from to another precinct
in the same parish shall operate to deprive
him of the right to vote in the precinct from
which he has removed, until six months
after such removal.
Section 2. He shall have been, at the time
he offers to vote, legally enrolled as regis
tered voter on his personal application, IN
accordance with the provisions OF this con-
stitution, and the laws enacted hereunder.
The qualification of voters and the regis
ration laws in force prior to the adoption,
Of this constitution shall remain IN force
until Dec. 81, 1898, at which date all the
provisions Of this constitution relative to
suffrage, registration and elections. except
as hereinafter otherwise provided, shall go
INTO effect, and the general assembly SHALL
and is hereby directed, at its regular session
in 1893, to enact general registration la"
to carry into effect the provisions of this
constitution relative to the qualifications and
registration of voters.
Section T. He shall be able to read and
write, and shall demonstrate his ability to
do so when he applies for registration by
making, under oath administered by the
REGISTRATION officer or his deputy, written
application therefor in the English language
or in his mother tongue, which application
shall contain the essential facts necessary to
show that he is entitled to resister aud vote.
and shall be entirely written, dated and
signed by him in the presence of the regis
tration officer of his deputy without, assis-
lance or suggestion from any person or
memorandum whatever, except the form of
application hereinafter provided for; pro-
vided. however, that if the applicant be
unable to write his application in the Eng
lish language he shall have the right, II he
SO demands, to write the same in his mother
tongue from the dictation of an Interpreter,
and if the applicant is unable to write MS
application by reason of physical disability
.he same shall be written at his dictation> by
the registration officer or his deputy, upon
his oath of such disability. The application
for registration, above provided for, Shall be
a copy Of the following form, with the pro-
per Names dates and numbers substituted
for the blanks appearing therein, to-wit:
I am citizen of the state of Louisiana
NV name is Il was born in the state Tor
conntry) of >. parish Tor country of 80.
on the day of in the year am now
=. years, - months and 80. days of age 1
have resided in this state since. 80, in this
parish since ..... and in precinct No 80. OF
this parish since and am not d'sfan-
chised by any provision of the constitution
of this state.
Section 4. If he be not able to read and
write, as provided by section of this
article, then he shall be entitled to regis
ter and vote if he shall, at the time he offers
to register, be the bona fide owner of pro-
perty assessed to him in this state at valua-
ton of not less than $500 on the assessment
roll of the current year in which he offers
to register, or on the roll of the preceding
year, If the roll of the CURRENT shall not then
have been completed and filed, and on
which, if such property be personal only, all
taxes due shall have been paid. The aPp'i-
cant for registration under this section shall
make oath before the registration officer or
his deputy, that he is Il citizens of the
United States and of this state, over the age OF
FL years; that he possesses the qualifications
prescribed in section 1 of this article, and
that he is the owner of property assessed in
this state to him at valuation of not less
than $500, and if such property be personal
only, that all taxes due thereon have been
paid.
Section 5-No male person who was on
Jan. I, 1867, at any date prior thereto,
entitled to vote under the constitution or
statutes of any state of the United States
wherein he then resided, and no son or
grandson of any such person not less than
FL years of age at the date Of the adoption