Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-10-12


No. 10. Voting precincts of l.avina
and Elso; registry agent. ID. w. Slay.
ton, Lavina. Oct. IL. Is, 10. %, 2l. -.
"a. 2S. 30; at postonicc, Elso, oct. "a.
20, 90.
The qualifications Of voter are as
follows:
He must be citizen OF the United
States.
The only exception 10 this is in
the case Of person who has declar-
ed his intention OF becoming resi-.
dent of the United States and who
shall be entitled to become a full cit
izen prior to the day of election. In
such a case the registry agent may
place the applicants uame on the
books Cif he be otherwise qnalified)
and note thereafter TO be challenged" ="
The person SO registered must then
exhibit TO the Judges OF election his
final citizenship papers before he can
vote. The purpose Of this is to per.
nit person TO secure his final papers
between the time of registration and
the day of election.
He must be twenty-onp years of age
prior 10 November Sth next.
He must, ON November Sth, have
been a resident of the state for one
year and of the county for thirty
days.
He must be bona fde resident OF
the registration dislric, IN which he
proposes to be registered.
He must be willing and be prepared
to prove that he is not registered else
where for this electoral year.
This last requirement is the one
which will afford both transient voi-
ers and registry agents the most
trouble.
IL will be remembered that registra-
ton is required but Umce in eight
years and that If voter has not
moved from the precinct wherein he
voted two years ago, his name is still
upon the books of that precinct and
no further registration is necessary.
But IL the voter has moved from the
precinct wherein he voted Tor regis
tered to yote) two years ago or the
last time since 1898, he must have Il
certificate of the cancellation of such
registration before he can be register
ed this year.
Registry agents might well ask all
applicants for registration:
Where did you register last?"
If the applicant replies that he vot-
ed or registered at a place different
from the place where ne now desires
to vote, the registry agent must re.
quire certificate from the registry
agent of the district where the appli'
cant before voted that such registry
has been cancelled before he can be
registered this year.
Doubtless there will be many in.
stances, especially toward the close OF
the registration. of men claiming that
they have forgotten where they voted
last, claiming that although they have
been residents of Montana for two oI
four years. tha., they have never yot
ed. etc. Such Gases will bear close
scrutiny, for in some cases the ap
plicant will be purposely misrepresent
ing the facts and although he may
be deprived of vote by telling the
truth. the laws should be obeyed and
transfers required In all such cases as
those above referred TO.
Registry agents will do well 10 study
carefully the election laws before
they open their Offices for business
and especially sections 1909, 1910 ant
1911, which appear on pages IL. |,
and IA of the election laws, which
have been forwarded them by tht
county clerk.
On the 3lst of October the registry
agents must again open their offices
at their home Office. and then receive
such corrections of errors as ma,
have appeared; for instance. IL a vot
er has been registered in the wronl
precinct OF his name has been mis-
spelled, the correction should be made
but the only new registrations which
are permitted on the 2yth are in casei
where 1t can be proven to the salts
faction of the agent that the applican
has been unavoidably detained from
registering during the whole OF tn
previous two weeks. II Is not enough
for the applicant to say that Il wa
busy" or that Il was away when yo'
we're here and | didn't want to q
down to the other place and register.
Such pleas should not avail. Tw'
weeks are given for registration ant
IL in that time the voter cannot SPAR
sufficient time TO place his name oI
the books he is too poor an American
citizen TO be permitted To take an.
part in the choice of officers OF sci
tlement OF policies.