The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-02-25
MUST QUALIFY
BY APRIL 9TH
New Primary Law Makes That
Last Day to Pay Poll Tax
PAYMENT IS PERSONAL
Collector Cannot Accept Poll Tax From
Other Than Voter Accept When Paid
With Real or Personal Tax

Few Floridians are thoroughly posted
in regard to the requirements of the
new State law as regards qualifying
for participation in the selection of party
nominees. The new law regarding the
payment Of poll taxes, section l6,
chapter 1928. laws of 1909, reads as
follows:
"Section l6. Any tax collector or per-
son acting under his authority or d.
rection, who receives or permits to be
received any money or other thing of
value in payment of poll or capitatiOn
taxes, from any person, firm, associa-
tion, or corporation, either by check,
draft or any other method of payment,
or any tax collector issuing poll tax
receipt without payment in advance
thereof, other than the person whose
poll or capitation taxes is to b. paid,
shall be deemed guilty of misdemean.
or, and, upon conviction thereof, shall
be punished by Imprisonment in the
county jail for not more than three
months: Provided, that nothing in this
act shall be construed to prevent any
person paying, or any tax collector from
collecting the poll tax due by another
person from any other person, who shall
also pay, upon request of the person
owing the poll or capitation tax the real
and personal taxes of the person for
whom he offers to pay the capitation or
poll tax: Provided, that where the pay
ment of poll or capitation tax is neces-
sary to qualify voters for participation
in the primaries herein provided for,
that such poll or capitation tax shall be
paid not later than the second Saturday
in the month preceding the month in
which such primary is held.
In order to qualify as an elector in the
approaching primaries, under the pro-
visions of the new law, person must
pay his poll taxes for the two years
preceding the year in which such cleo
ton is held on or before the second Sat-
urday in the month, proceeding the
month in which such election is held
This means that April 9th is the time
limit given persons to pay their poll
taxes and become qualified electors in
the primaries of this year. And the
voter must pay his own poll taxes, un-
less it is paid by another when his real
ty tax is paid. Those voters having no
realty tax to pay must pay their poll
taxes Individually and personally in
future, and the practice which has
frequently prevailed in Florida of candi-
dates paying the poll taxes of large
numbers of prospective supporters in
"bunch" is now unlawful and not to be
permitted.
1t is we'll that the Democratic voter
who desires to register his choice in the
approaching primaries take note Of The
re quirement and make it his business
to pay up his poll taxes before April
9. 1t is an essential preliminary to
participating in the selection of nominees
for the many important Offices within
the gift of the people of Florida this
year. And it is also safe to attend to
this matter at the earliest convenience,
thus avoiding the possibility of being
crowded out in the rush which will be
sure to mark the last few days of the
qualifying period.