Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-08-14
GAN AFFILIATE
ON SEPTEMBER14
Ruling On Declined" Voters Vot-
ing First Time Since April 1914.
THOSE ATTAINING ELIGIBLE.
Decision in Connection With Appeals
Court Action in Murphy Case.

ALI registered voters who are on the
registration books as declined" and
who are voting for the first time at a
| primary election since April 16, 1914
have right to affiliate on September
Il. and participate in the primaries on
that day
This ruling was handed down yes
terday by Attorney General Poe, who
also ruled that all males who attain
the ace Of y years before the general
election next November, buN who are
not of age at this time. have the right
to vote in the primaries under the pro-
visions of 160 T. of Chapter 1872 Of
the Acts of 1914
The Attorney General handed down
his decision in connection with the
ruling of the Court of Appeals in the
case of Murphy, a declined voter of
Baltimore, versus Edmund j. Wach-
ter, member Of the Board of Election
Supervisors of Baltimore City Muir
ply was refused the right TO affiliate
Just before the last municipal primary,
and the Maryland Court of Appeals up
held the supervisors.
Pointing out the right of declined
voters who have not voted in a pri-
mary since April of 1914, Mr.. Poe re-
fers 20 section 169-E of Chapter 792 Of
the Acts of 1911, which says:
Each and every voter as he appears
at the first primary election at which
he votes subsequent TO the passage of
this act shall, before he is permitted to
vote at said primary, state to which
party he is inclined and to which par
ty he desires to have himself recorded
as affiliated. and the Board of Regis
trars, then sitting as judges of cleo
tion, shall thereupon and at once enter
in the column provided for party afiil
iations the name of the political patty
to which the voter is inclined and with
which he desires to affiliate and all
primary elections thereafter held, any
person so registered as affiliated with
a given political party shall have the
right to vote the official ballot of that
party and no other.
"No person or voter after having had
his affiliation registered shall be per-
mitted to make any change in his par
ty afIiliation unless the same shall be
made at least six months prior to the
day of the primary election"
Discussing this. Attorney General
says:
eft is very clear from this language
that a registered voter, opposite whose
name upon the registration hooks APP
pears the word declined in the col
umn headed Party Affiliations, voting
Tor the first time at a primary since
April 16, 1914, the date of the passage
of said chapter 1872, has the right &c
require the judges of election to ro-
cord his party affiliation in the proper
column OF. The registration book, and
upon such record being made, to vote
in hte primary of the party with which
ne Is recorded rs affiliated
"Of course. this privilege can only be
availed of by a person who has pre-
viously registered and who is voting
for the first time at a primary held
subsequent to April 16, 1914, and who
has not previously had his party affil-
iation registered within six months
prior to the day of primary election.
AS to the right of person not yet 21
years of age before the general cleo
ton to vote at the primary election.
Such right is secured to him by the
following provision of 60-E of Chapter
1872 of the Acts of 1914:
"'All persons arriving at the age of
81 years, after the closing of thesnext
preceding registration, or who shalt
attain the age of 21 years before the
general election for which the pri-
mary elestion is held, entitled to be
registered as qualified voters. shall! be
entitled 10 vote upon proving, under
oath, TO the satisfaction of a majority
of the judges of election, their right TO
registration in the precintc in which
they claim the right to vote. provided
they shall declare their intentions TO
vote for the candidate or candidates oil
the party at whose primary they ten
| der their ballots"
A splendid feature at Colonial. Mon