Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1906-03-24
Information
For April end.
Preparation for rIiChigans
Primary Election.

AS the day of the spring election ap-
proacAes, now only one week away,
interests intensities in the primary
enrolment which must be made ON
that day, as the first preliminary TO
the popular exercise Of the right Of
direct nomination of candidates pro-
yided in the new primary election law.
This Is the one preliminary which is
absolutely indispensable to any subse-
quent participation, for any and every
voter in the state; and consequently
the utmost pains are being taken by
the state authorities TO bring 10 to the
attention Of the voters everywhere,
and to extend as widely as possible a
knowledge of the provisions of the
law. To this end, two important
documents have been issued during the
last week. One is pamphlet, entitl-
ed, "Official Construction of Act No.
Isl, Public Acts of 1905, published by
George A. Prescott, Secretary of
State. 1t is an Interpretation by
Attorney General Bird, prepared as a
general response to many inquiries as
TO the legal definition of various pro-
visions of the law, and provided in
this popular form for the purpose of
securing uniformity in the operation
Of the law. The pamphlet Is supplied
to all applicants by the secretary of
CT In l. to1 10
pamphlet form and may be had from
the same officer.
The attorney general makes il en-
phatic that at the enrolment on the
first Monday of April, to be made at
the various polling places of the spring
election. every qualified voter vino ap-
plies for enrolment as member Of
any political party, is entitled to be SO
enrolled, under whatever party name
he shall chOose to give, and regardless
of the fact whether he has actually
noted, under that name or any other.
When 20 enrolled, ne new enrollmt ut
is required, unless the voter should
remove TO another precinct or should
desire to change his party affiliations;
but he can only vote at primary
election, in the precinct and in the
party where he is enrolled. This first
enrollment Is to be made by the cleo
tion inspectors, and all processes in
the carrying out of the primary cleo
tlon law, for one party or for all par.
ties, are at the public expense. The
applicant must present himself in per-
son to the enrolling clerk Of the cleo
, tion board. If absent from the dis
trict on that day, or incapaeiated by
sickness, shown on oath, he may be
enrolled on primary election day in
June; or il removed from another dis
trict in which he was enrolled or would
have been but for such absence or
sickness, or if one becomes of age since
the enrolment day in April, he will
be entitled TO June enrolment.
This enrolment is the only step re-
quired to be taken under the law, be-
fore the primary election In June. eX-
the submission to the voters in June
of the questisn whether they will
have their candidates nominated by
primary vote or not. The enrolment,
as already emphasized, Is an indispen-
sable preliminary TO any further par
ticipation. No voter can sign such
petition, NOR vote upon the question
when so Submitted, nor vote AT any
subsequent primary election or nomi-
nation OF candidates, unless he has
been so enrolled. But neither can any
further step be taken unless those
petltiens are signed for submission OF
that question-rexcept voting on nomi-
nation Of governor and lieutenant
governor, for which no petitions are
repaired. Tho petitions for vote on
nomination Of county officers, or repre-
sentative or senator or congressman,
must be signed by twenty percent of
the last previous party vote for COVER
nor, cast in the county, or representa-
tive or senatorial or congressional dis
trict, as the case may be. These blank
petitions are furnished at public ex-
pense, and only where signed by the
requisite twenty percent of party vote,
can any primary nomination Of these
officers be had by any party. these
petitions can best be signed at the
election and enrolment on the second
of April, and they will be there pro-
vided, TO be used by all parties.
There is nothing further demanding
the voters attention until the primary
Alection in June; but there is abun-
dant work for the officers charged with
the duty of preparing for that cleo
tion.
In addition to this Official publica-
tion by the secretary of state, Cover