The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-02-19
ALL VOTERS REGISTER.
A New Feature Necessary in School
Elections.

DeS MONIES, FEB. 1I.--Superintend-
ent Barrett received inquiries yester-
day from Centerville as to whether
under the new law Of the Twenty
ninth general assembly registration
would be required before the annual
school election March g. Mr.. Barrett
replied to the effect that registration
would be necessary under the new
law, which provides for registration in
each school corporation having 5000
or more inhabitants. Section 2z55 OF
the code, as found in the amended
school laws published from the super
intendent's office, governs the matter
and Mr.. Barrett holds that by the law
registration is mandatory in all school
corporations in the state OF 5000 in
habitants or over.
The section in question provides first
that each school corporation having
5000 or more inhabitants may be di-
vided by the board of directors into
precincts. Then follows the provisions
for registration. The inquiry was
made Of Mr.. Barrett whether registra-
tion was mandatory if a district was
not divided into precincts. He held
that it was mandatory regardless OF
such a division If the population was
over 5000. Mr. Barrett believes many
have overlooked the fact that registra-
tion for school elections is now requir-
ed in districts of 5000 or over. A part
of section 2755 says
"A separate register of the voters Of
each precinct shall be prepared by the
board from the register of the electors
of any city included within such
school corporation, and for that pur-
pose a copy of such register of cleo
tors shall be furnished by the clerk
of the city to the board of directors
Before each annual meeting these reg
listers shall be revised and corrected
by comparison with the last register
of elections OF such cities and shall
have the same force and effect at
school meetings held under this sec
tion, in respect to the reception of
votes thereat, as the register Of elec-
ton has by law at general elections.
The board of directors of such school
corporation, on or before the last Mon
day preceding such election, shall APP
point two suitable persons to be regis
trars in eacn of the election precincts
of such school corporation for the reg
istration of voters therein, who shall
have the same qualifications as regis
trars appointed for general elections
and shall qualify in the same manner,
hn COMMUNICATION
to be paid by the school corporation.
The registrars shall meet on the day
of election at the voting place in the
precinct in which they have been ap-
pointed and shall hold continuous ses-
sion from 8 o'clock in the forenoon un-
til Z o'clock in the afternoon. Any
person claiming to be a voter, and who
is not alread registered in the proper
precinc4 may appear before them in
the election precinct where he claims
he is entitled to vote and make and
subscribe under oath a statement in
the registry book, which oath and
statement shall be Of the same general
character as that prescribed by sec
ton 1917 Of the code, and shall there
upon be granted certificate of regis
tration."
About thirty districts in the state
will have to provide for registration
under this law. There are twenty-five
cities in Iowa that under the 1900 cen
sus had over 5000 inhabitants. In
several of these cities, however, there
is more than one district having a
population of over 5000.
The following are the cities having
over 5000 inhabitants by the last fed
eral census:
Atlantic, Boone, Burlington, Cedar
Falls, Cedar Rapids, Centerville, Clin-
ton, Council Bluffs, Creston, Daven-
port, Des Moines. Iowa City, Keokuk,
Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Fort Madison,
Marshalltown, Mason City, Muscatine,
Oelwein, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Sioux
City, Waterloo.
Under the section in question mo-
tices of election must be posted by
the secretary OF the school board at
least ten days before the election anu
that notices must be published at least
two weeks before election.