The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-12
Wolnen Entitled To Caucus For
 School Boards
Attorney General Gives. Opinion T -lasysHdned Register
 in Greenwich

Attorney General John H. Light has given an opinion to Jeremiah Tierney, registrar of voters at Greenwich, to the effect that women are entitled to be enrolled in the caucus for the nom ination of school officers. AS a result forty-four women have been enrolled for the fall caucus in that town, forty as Republicans and four as Democrats. The opinion is as follows:
 Attorney Generals Office.
 July 2e. 1911.
 My Dear Mir Tierney: In answer to your request for my advice as to the right of women who are legal voters to be enrolled on the caucus lists and to participate in caucuses in nominat- ing school officers, I take pleasure in giving you my unofficial opinion, as follows: --.- % i''- ''-'''14't
 The law providing for the enrolment of legal voters for caucus is Chapter 265 of the Public Acts of 1909, being t'An Act Concerning Political Primar- les and Caucuses.'
 Excepting the penal sections, this statute is remedial and for that reason 1t should receive a libera' construction to meet the beneficial end in view. The intention of a remedial statute must always prevail over the literal sense of the term and therefore, when the language is particular and the req
 
 deemed general.
 The protection of woman's franchise is an important and beneficial public object. Hence, it is our duty to con- strue the caucus law so as to include women voters, if we can do so without doing violence to it's terms. See cases cited: Swift vs. Chamberlain. Conn. 543. Wolcott vs. Pond, 19 Conn. 597.
 It has been held to be the duty of the court in constructing ans election law to protect the voter so hat he shall not be deprived of his vote ex- cept upon plain and unamblguouS provision of the law.
 Fields vs Osborne, 60 Conn. 552.
 I am informed that the claim has been made to you that a woman can not be an ."electOr" in the meaning of D the constitution of this State and therefore she is not entitled to bes en- rolled on the caucus lists. I believe this claim to be untenable. While it Is true that the only person who can vote for State officers and members of the General Assembly are the "elec- tors'' possessing the qualifications fixed by the constitution and duly ad- mitted to the privileges secured and in the manner, prescribed by that in- strument,@ f}fe EegislA tures may permit other than such electors to take part in town, city and borough meetings, and to vote for local officers; and that the Legislature has always exercised this power clearly appears in the gen. eral statutes and many city charters. Within the meaning of the constitu- tion there can be no electors of city, yet the caucus law requires the regis trars to prepare separate lists for use in cities and boroughs.
 O'F1aherty vs. City of Bridgeport, GA Conn., 96l. .zIsa- .zI a-f9s Fzsssgsss s-sTTz
 The word '.elector'' as commonly used in this State has two meanings, one restricted by the constitution to those who have s4he right to vote for State officers and membersSof the Gen era1 Assembly, and the other a broad meaning which includes all legal vot- erS'
 ''The Century Dictionary defines the word as follows: "One who elects or has the right of choice; a person who has the legal right of voting for any functionary or the adoption of any measure; a voter.'
 In the very initial section of the caucus law, it is made the duty of the registrars to make an enrolment of the legal voters of such town, and in Section 3 they are to compile a list of all of the qualified electors, and further along in the same section it is an ''elector'' from the list when he shall cease to be a legal voter"
 Therefore. in the meaning of said terms as used in the statute in ques- tion, a legal voter is an "elector'' and an ''elcctor'' is a legal voter" The terms are obviously used inter changeabiy.
 The. Legislature. has given women the4frashk to vote for all sofficers of schools. and in the exercise of this franchise she is entitled to be enrolled on the caucus list, and to participate in the nomination of school officers.
 I believe it to be the duty of the registrars to enroll every woman making applicaSfen for enrolment who is legal voter of the town of Greenwich.
 Sincerely yours,
 JOHN H. LIGHT