The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-12
ELECTION BILL
 IS NOW A LAW Full Text of Measure Framed
 by Bankhead PROVISIONS ARE COMPLETE Under the Law the Opportunities for Fraud Are Mlnimized-carries Out the Intent of the New
 Constitution.
PROVISIONS ARE COMPLETE
BY E.. E. KERsH.

BY E. E. kEhS1s
 Montgomery, October 1f.-(SpeciaI)- Governor Jelks signed the Bankhead elec- tion bill yesterday, and the most impor- tant act of the legislature recently ad- journed became a law. The bill is neces- sarly a very lengthy one, covering as it does the provisions and machinery for registration, the conduct of elections and setting forth officers that are to be elected.
 Greatest interest, perhaps, eenters in the provisions for registration, providing permanent plan for the carrying into effect of the purpose of the constitution of 1901 This provision immediately throws much work upon the state board of regis trars, which consists of the governor, auditor and commissioner of agriculture. Within the next sixty days this board will have to name three registrars for each of the sixty-seven counties in the state whose terms of office is made four years, or until their successors are ap- pointed. The care with which these ap- pointments are made will require much of the time allotted for the purpose. No person who holds an elective office can
 hold tie office of county registrar. Tho
 county registrars will receive s3 per day
 for the time engaged in the work of
 registration, to be paid out of the state l treasury.
 | Must Visit Each Precinct. | It Is made the duty of the board of reg | istrars in each county to visit each pre-
 cinct at least once, and oftener if neces-
 sary, between July 1 and October 1, 1904,
 and each two years thereafter to make complete registration of all persons en- titled to register. and remain there at
 least one day from 8 o'clock in the morn-
 ing until sunset. They shall giv5 at least
 twenty days notice of the time when, and | the place in the precinct where they Will attend to register applicants for registra- | tion by bills posted at three or more pub
 lie places in each election precinct. and | by advertisement once a week for three
 successive weeks in a newspaper, If there 1 be one published in the county. Upon fnil-
 ure to give such notice, or to-attend any appointment made by them in any pre- cinct they shall. after like notice, fill new appointments therein. The tlme consumed by the board in completing such registration shall not exceed forty working days in any county, except that in Jefferson county the time shall not exceed sixty days.
 No person small De registered except the county site or in the precinct in which
 he resides The registrars shall issue to each person registered a certificate of reg istration. On Friday and Saturday next | preceding the day of each regular elec-
 tion the registrars shall sit in the court ! house of each county, during snch days' | and shall register all applicants having
 the qualifications of an eector. who shall
 have reached the age of 21 years since the | last date of registration, or who shan
 prove to the reasonable satisfaction or lhe 1 board that by reason of physical dlsa-
 biity of himself or sickness in his fan-
 fly or unavoidable absence from the eoun- l ty they had no opportunity to register | prior to said time. and they shall not OH | such days register any other persons. The board of registration in each county | shall meet at the courthouse on the last
 Monday in September, 1904, and each two years thereafter and shall remain In ses- sion one week for the registration or voters.
 Must Give Twenty Days Notice.
 When there are two or more eourthonses
 in a county the registrars may sit during such two days at the courthouse they may select but shall give twenty days notice'
 by bills posted al each of the court
 houses designating the courthouse at
 which they will sit
 The board of registrars Is given power to examine, under oath or affirmation all applicants for registration, and to take
 testimony touching the qualifications or
 such applicants. Each member of such
 board is authorized to administer the oath to be taken by the applicants and witt
 nesses. which shall be in the following form and subscribed by the person mak-
 ing it. and preserved by the board. name- ly:
 q soiemnly swear Cor affrm) that in the
 matter of the application of ................
 for registration as elector, I will speak
 the truth, the whole truth and nothing
 but the truth, so help me God" Any per- son who upon such examination makes any wilfully false statement in reference to any material matter touching the qual- ihcation of any applicant for registration shall be guilty of perjury and, upon con- viction thereof shall be imprisoned in the penitentary for not less than one nor more than five years.
 Those Not Disqualified.
 The following persons and no others who. if their places of residence shall
 remain unchanged will have, at the
 date of the next general election, the
 qualifications as to residence prescribed
 by Sec of the act. shall be qualified to
 register as electors. provided they shall
 not be disqualified under Sec. of the act | Those who can read and write any arti- | cle of the Constitution of the United 1 States in the English language. and who
 are physically unable to work; and those who can read and write any article of the Constitution of the United States in the English language. and who have
 worked or been regularly engaged in some lawful employment. business or -occupa- ton. trade or calling for the greater part
 of the twelve months next preceding the time they offer to register. and those who
 are unable to read and write. if such ma bity is due solely to physical disability; or.
 The owner In good faith in his own
 right or the husband of a woman who Is
 the owner in good faith in her own right.
 of forty acres of land situated in this
 state, upon which they reside; or the own- CT in good faith in his own right. or the In. .l..arad r ..l,