The Winslow mail., 1914-03-28
NEW LAW NOT IN FORCE
Supervisors Must Be Elected
From County at Large,
Not by Districts

Tic Guilty UOdI u VI oupSI V 1871 .
the following opinion regarding
the law providing for the cleo
tion of supervisors from districts
instead Of at large as heretofore.
The law cannot become effective
this year. The opinion is as
follows:
For this department | have
the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your communication of
the 18th inst, relating to a con-
struction of Chapter 81 of the
laws IF the regular session of
the first state legislature, as a.
mended, in respect to the oper-
alton of that chapter upon the
election of supervisors at the gen
eral election to be held on the
first Tuesday after the first Mon
day in November of this year.
''The amendments to that act
became operative October 1st,
1913. and had no bearing upon
the law insofar as this opinion is
concerned. Section of the act,
and as carried into the Code of
1913, is as follows:
''Section /. The boards of
supervisors of the several coun-
ties of the state shall have the
power, and it shall be their duty
to meet at the county seats ir
their respective counties on the
first Monday in September next
preceding a general election for
state and county officers and di
vide their several counties into
three supervisoral districts each,
which districts shall be numbered
respectively. one, two and three.
Said supervisors shall define the
boundaries and limits of each
district, SO far as possible, and
shall make such division in such
manner that the said districts
shall be as nearly equal in poru-
lation and assessed valuation of
property as is possible. Such
districting of counties may be
submitted to the vote of the quail
flied voters of the county where
in made, not less than two weeks,
nor more than thirty days, after
the said action of the board of
supervisors. Such election shall
be conducted in all respects as
other referendum elections are
conducted. Should the majority
vote be cast for such districting,
the county shall thereafter e'ect
supervisors within such district
as hereinafter provided.
1T will be observed that the
redistricting Of the various coun-
ties of the state into supervisors
districts by the board of super
visors shall be made on the first
Mon lay in September next pre-
ceding the general election for
state and county officers. The
first Monday in September pre-
ceding the general election, falls
on the 7th of that month. Uu~
der the provisions of the primary
law, the primary for the next
general election which falls on
the third day of November. The
next primary election therefore,
will fall on the 9th day of Sep
tember. 1t, therefore, appears
that the next primary election
will be held one day after the
date prescribed for the redistric-
ingo the various counties of the
state into supervisoral districts
1t is obvious, therefore, that the
boards of supervisors of the var
ious counties of the state cannot
divide the counties into supervi-
soral districts before the time
prescribed by law for the filing
of nomination papers by candi-
dates for board of supervisors
in view Of the facts that Section
5 Of the primary law prascribes
that persons desiring to become
candidates at a primary election
shall file his nomination petition
not less than twenty nor more
than sixty days before the pri-