The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-30
MAKE NO CHANGES
IN POLLING PLACES
CHAIRMAN SMITH ISSUES STATE
MENT IN WHICH HE ANSWERS
SOME OBJECTIONS THAT HAVE
BEEN MADE BY CANDIDATES

Declaring that the protest of the candi-
dates against the fact that Birmingham
is to have only four boxes in the coming
primary is entirely out of the question:
Frank W. Smith, chairman of the sub
committee, cites the law on the point He
also states that the committee has re-
called the order for a polling place at
Osceola station because the Board of
Revenue has not placed one there
Mr. Smith states that the names of E.
A. Dudley and Rose Huey for the Besse-
mer city court clerkship will appear on
the ticket, though the vote of the Besse-
mer CUTOFF decides the winner.
He says:
Since the action of the subcommittee
in appointing election Officers for only
four voting places in Birmingham proper,
and its failure to appoint election officers
in certain other places, such as Osceola
and Mineral Springs, has caused some
discussion among the voters affected, and
some of the candidates, 1t might not be
amiss for me to make statement with
reference to the committees action in this
matter.
In the first place this is the first time
primary election has been held under
the new election law. which appears in
chapter 10 of the political code of Ala
bama for 1907-with. which laws the pub
lie, and some of the candidates, have
not, as yet. familarized themselves.
Under the new law the establish
ment, change and abolition of election
precincts and voting places. must be
made by the Board of Revenue. which
changes shall not be made within less
than 30 days before an election and
all orders of such board making such
changes must be recorded within three
days after the adjournment of court at
the numbers and boundaries of precincts
and the places of holding elections must
be known and designated as entered upon
the records of the Board of Revenue.
Having such laws in mind, I called
upon the Board of Revenue and secured
from its records a list of such established
voting places, and then the subcommit-
tee proceeded to select and appoint cleo
ton officers therefor-for such voting
l.
Under the new election law, referring
especially to primary elections it Is pro-
vided, among other things, that all pri-
mary elections in the state, by any poll
teal party, shall be held and conducted
in the same manner and form, and under
the same requirements as are or shall
be provided by law for the holding of
regular state elections, except in such
particulars as therein excepted. And,
practically the only exception thereto is
the one that the provisions of the general
election laws relating to official ballots
places shall not apply to primary cleo
tions, and voters shall not be required to
prepare their ballots in the voting places
as they are required in the general cleo
lions to prepare them in the voting
booths Under the new law our committee
establish any voting places.
Speaking on behalf of the subcommit-
tee, wish to say that in the performance
of the duties imposed upon US 1t has been
our one aim to comply with the law in
every particular, without regard to fay-
oring or disfavoring and friend or foe,
whether he be candidate or voter. And,
in the selection of officers, 1t was, of
impossible to select all suggested
by every candidate and every beat COM
mitteeman; but, we selected from the list
submitted the men whom we thought
most competent. honest, conscientious and
whose actions could not arouse the least
suspicion of any unfair play, realizing
even then. that we could not satisfy
everybody"