The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-26
Personal Registration.

DS tl1e endorsement
of electoral reform contained
in the Republican state plat
form and by Chairman Quay's
appointment of a special committee to
look into this subject, the Joint Com
nlittee for the Promotion of Electoral
Reforms in Pennsylvania is circulating
throughout the state the draft of a
personal registration act prepared by it.
The proposed act provides that the
county commissioners shall divide the
cities of the state into registry dis
tricts to contain not over $500 voters.
Three registrars are to be appointed for
each district on the first Saturday of
August of each year by the court of
quarter sessions. The registrars are re-
quired to sit at the designated place of
registration in each district between
the hours of 10 a. IN. and 6 p. M, and
73O and 10 p. M. on the 64th 62d, 29th.
9th and 18th days before the general
election in November; and on the 29th.
9th and 18th days preceding >the mu-
nicipal election, for the purpose of reg
1sterng voters. Two weeks notice shall
be given of the time and place of the
meeting of the board of registrars.
Every claim for registration must be
made in person. If required by reg
fstrar or watcher. the claimant shall
subscribe his name, at the place pro-
vided, in the register of voters which
is intended for use on the day of cleo
tion at the polling place. If the ma jor-
ity of the registrars are of the opinion
that the claimant is entitled to vote
In that district his name is placed on
the register of voters together with his
occupation, age, place of birth, time of
residence in state, and other general
information necessary to identify him.
Each registrar shall prepare Il register
Of all persons admitted to registration
in each election district. No person
shall have the right to vote who shall
not have been duly registered. but the
names of persons who have personally
appeared and been registered, shall be
continued on the registers for IL year
from the date of registration without
further action on their part. Two of
the three lists are to be filed in the
Office of the clerk of the court of quar-
ter sessions until required for use at
the polls. The third list is to be eX-
hibited at the place of registration until
the day of election.
If any citizen shall object to the ac-
tion Of the registrars, he may appeal
to the court of quarter sessions; but
all such applications for correcting the
registration lists must be made to the
court not later than ten days preceding
the election. Political parties which
may be entitled to watchers at the
general election shall be allowed to
appoint three watchers in each place
of registry. The act also makes pro-
vision for graduated series of fines
Of from 500 to $1,000 and of imprison-
ment from one to three years in the
cases of registrars convicted of violat-
ing their oath of Office and of persons
found guilty of false personation or OF
aiding or abetting false personaton.
When AN act of this character to,
gether with uniform primary law
shall have found places on the statute
books of Pennsylvania, there will re,
main for reformation little else in con,
nsction with elections save the voters
who don't agree with us.