Arizona republican., 1910-05-30
SUBJECT OF REGISTRATION
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are the owners of real or personal
property subject to taxation in the
City of Phoenix, and if otherwise
qualified. entitled to vote at elections
of this nature. While the law does
not permit you to refuse anyone who
is not on the last assessment or tax
roll of the city of Phoenix to register.
nevertheless 1 advise you to inform
all persons appearing before you to
register for this election that they
cannot vote unless their property APP
pears upon the last assessment or
tax roll of the city of Phoenix prior
to the date of the election.
BY referring to the laws quoted by
the city attorney. and to other acts
on the same subject. notably the
session laws of 1903, it is found that
no one can vote at a special bond
election unless his property, either
real or personal, is upon the last as
sessment roll. or is placed upon the
assessment or tax roll before the date
of the election at which he votes.
1T is a part of the organic act of
Arizona that any person having real
or personal property, the latter being
anything taxable, from a suit of
clothes to a gold watch, may vote at
an election of this kind. The city at
torney holds that the other laws of
legislative enactment do not modify
this right, but define further proceed
ure. as to how the voter shall show
that he has property subject to taxa
ton. and that that showing is by
the tax roll; and that if his property
is not on the tax roll he has the
privilege Of placing it there before he
votes, and if he does not do it he
cannot vote.
ITO make the application clear. the
recorder cannot refuse to register any
man who is a qualified elector as to
time of residence in the city, county
and territory. providing ne is a citi-
zen of the United States. But if any
such elector is not on the tax roll
and has only personal property, such
as his trunk. clothing. watch or other
personal effects, before he can vote
on June Is he must first list such
property with the city assessor. and.
naturally, to save trouble, the better
time to list it is when he registers,
for he can step across the hall and
call on the assessor with very little
trouble.
In respect to those owning real es-
tate, as for instance the owners of
lots in Collins addition, or other new
territory taken in recently. none of
it is on the city assessment roll, and
these owners are in the same position
as the man who has only personal
property; they can vote if they list
it.
There is still another class of vot-
ers whose names are not. on the as
sessment roll. but who do not have
to worry. They are the people who
have bought and secured deeds to
property since the last tax roll was
made up. The law says their prop
erty must be on the last tax roll, and
it was, even though it stood in some
other name. If any one questions
their present ownership. they can
show their deeds. in the event they
have neglected to return their prop
erty thus far this year.
THE meat of it all is, that almost
anybody who could vote at a regular
biennial election, can vote on this
bond question. by taking the trouble
to comply with the requirements i'm
reporting his possessions, but to make
everything absolutely legitimate and
air tight these things have been set
forth by the city attorney with such
minuteness that some of the more
timid voters, unless they read care
fully, may be frightened out of their
privileges.
There are some who contend that
the legislative enactments do not APP
ply at all; that the organic act is
sufficient warrant for anybody who
has property; that if he has acquired
1t since the city tax roll was last
made up, it is not his fault that he is