Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-19
COSTS ARE REDUCED
STATE WILL SAVE $4,000 DUE
TO SIMPLER SYSTEM.
Permanent Registration Passed by
Legislature.-Bill Designed to
Facilitate Voting.

laws simplifying the registration an
election machinery and making mater
ial reductions in the expense wer
enacted at the recent session of tn
legislature The new law providing
for the election of delegates to part,
national conventions and presidential
electors will save the state about
$4,000 year, for, under it, each per
son so honored must pay his own eX
penses. House bill 227, introduced by
Representative Childs of Linn county
which provides for two judges of
election instead Of three, it is esti-
mated, will save the state $4,000 each
election year.
Just what saving the permanent
registration law will effect is difficult
to estimate, but it should be ma
terial one. This law, while not con-
sidered a perfect one, is regarded as a
"step in the right direction,' to use
the pet phrase of State Senator Kel-
laher of Portland. 1t provides that
in registering the electors the county
clerks shall use the card index system,
The county clerks shall register any
qualified elector who may request to
be registered at any time after the
first Monday in January, 1916, to
within 30 days preceding any general
or primary election.
As a result electors desiring to
vote in the primary May, 1916, will
have only about three and one-half
months to register, With more than
100000 voters in the state the county
clerks will have their hands full regis
tering all who apply in that time.
An electOr living in county hav-
ing less than 100000 inhabitants may
register election day by obtaining the
aflidavits of two freeholders who are
personally acquainted with him as to
his qualifications. In counties having
more than 100000 inhabitants cleo
tors may register election day by OBJ
tanning the affidavits of six freehold
ers as to their qualifications. In the
former case the registrations shall be
transmitted to the county clerks and. !
if found to be in accordance with law.
they shall be filed in the register of
elections. Such registrations in coun-
ties having more than 100000 inhabi-
tants will not be regarded as perman-
ent. Electors living in the county
seat shall register in person with the |
county clerk. Those who do not shall
register without charge before an offic-
ial registrar in the county or with the
county clerk.
Electors absent from their county
may register before any notary public
or county clerk in the county where
they may be. In such eases the no.
tary public or county clerk shall mail
the affidavit of the elector to the coun-
ty clerk of the electors county and
may collect a fee not to exceed 25
cents from the elector
Section 10 Criticised.
Section 10 of the act has been criti-
ciSed by election experts as to some
extent making misnomer of the term
permanent registration. - 1t pro-
vides that as long as the eeetor lives
in the precinct in which he registers,
and at least votes at one election held {
throughout the county in the biennial
period ending November Is after the
regular biennial general election he
shall not be required to register again. E
II he fails to vote as stipulated he !
shall re-register. If the elector moves
TO another precinct or to another d
county in the state, or if the boundar- J
les of the precinct in which he regis
tered shall have been changed, or if he j
desires to change from one political !
party to another. he may register
again at his request. c
IL Is declared that in cities and \
other growing communities precinct ;
boundaries are changing constantly
and as a result thousands of electors a
to vote will have to register at least I
every two wears. II also is pointed
out that many voters may be diSfran- II
chiSed as result of this provision "
through ignorance of changes in pre-
cinct boundaries. Election experts i
say the law should have been provided c
for the county clerks to make the
changes necessary for recording the Il
electors in the propec precincts when is
boundaries are changed without the 4
necessity for re-registrations. m
Blank to Follow Elector.
When an elector moves from one N
county to another the county clerk is Is
authorized to send his registration al
blank to the clerk of the county where
he elector locates.
House bill DDS, introduced by Rem
'esentative Childs, is designed to IA P
ilitate voting. 1t dispenses with the &c
,oll book and substitutes precinct tC
eOister lists. II will NOT h. ,,aao- ! "