The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-14
MAY CREATE MORE
PLACES TO VOTE
County Committee Believed to
Have Authority
WILL MEET SATURDAY
-Four Thousand Votes Are Expected In
Nine Wards and 1t Is Thought
That Four Boxes VIII Be
Suflicient

According to the best democratic au-
thortty, the democratic executive com
mittee of Jefferson county is a law unto
itself. and may establish as many poll
Ing places as 1t sees fit for the conven-
ience of voters.
This question will certainly be put be-
fore tho committee at It's meeting satur-
day, entirely as a non-political, public
spirited matter, that the voters of Bir-
mingham be given more conveniences.
The job before the voters and the cleo
ton managers in beats 81 and 81, which in
clude nine wards, is enormous. -Four
thousand voters are expected to appear
and cast their ballots at the four boxes
as located in the last primary. This
means that at least 1900 will be deprived
of the right of suffrage, part of them
never reaching the box before closing
time, and the others unable to wait two
and three hours at the polls. i7Aa1a
1t means that the managers will not
complete the count of the ticket until
noon or the afternoon of the next day.
The names on the ballots will number
over 1o6, and may run to 153; for governor,
- iOt iiChtCiidHt SOfclHOIs q lOT ScCIctdIy
of state, 2; for railroad commissioner.
I; for chief justice, 2; for associate JUS
tive, q; for auditor 8; for commissioner
OF agriculture, 3; for superintendent of
education, 81 for treasurer, 8; for state
senate, 8; for United States Senate, 81;
for the legislature. II; for circuit judge.
4; for circuit solicitor, g.; for delegates
to the state democratic convention, be-
tween n and "a.
1t will be remembered that it required
an hours wait in line to get vote
in the recent county primary when only
80 names were on the ticket, and several
hundred were unable to hold their places
and stay away from their occupations,
while the count was not completed until
o'clock Tuesday morning.
1t is believed that the county commit
tee can establish other boxes in sthese
beats. and bring the suffrage down to the
average voter, the clerk and the MECHANIC
who must be at his work most of the day.
Here is what a prominent Alabama DEM
ocrat and a lawyer had to say yes
terday on the subject:
The provision in the primary election
law providing that the general laws
should govern the holding of primary
elections was intended to cover the quail
fcations OF voters. and the violations OF
the penal provision provided by the gen.
eral election laws with reference to the
qualifications of voters, have no applica-
| ton to the places of holding elections
That 10 regulated and controlled entire.
| ly by party machinery.
1.-The executive committee of every
county has absolute power and authority
to designate places Of voting. The pro.
visions Of the general election law which
prescribe that voting places shall be des-
ignated by the board Of county commits
sioners can have nothing to do with the
matter Of holding party primaries. That
relates solely to general elections ant
has no application to party machinery. A
party can hold either primary or Z
mass meeting for the purpose OF express
| ing q party choice and can do either a
any time or place designated by thu
party authorities"