South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-08-12
Voters Must Be
Registered hOrder
To Cast Ba Hot

portance is seeing that your neigh
Dor is registered. else he cannot vote
in November.
District. county. ward. township
and precinct comitteemen have no
more important task than 10 see that
all persons who intend to vote in
November are registered on october
9th. the date set by state law.
The thing 10 do at this moment is
TO find out who are not registered.
and have the list ready when regis
tration day comes. Then see that
every unregistered man goes 10 the
registration place and gets his name
on the list Of qualified voters. The
thoroughness with which this work
is done will measure the size Of GER
tain Indiana majority tor the demo-
cratic national and state ticket in
November.
Hughes Can't Vote.
There are many ways in which
names might get off the resistra-
ton lists. For instance. Candidate
Charles Evans Hughes is not quail
fled 10 vote in his home state Of New
York. The records show he has
neglected TO exercise his duty as an
American citizen and cast his vote
since 1910, after he was given a life
job as a member of the supreme
court. Such lack of interest in polit-
ical affairs is not very general among
patriotic Americans, however, and it
is not likely that many such viii be
found in Indiana
But yOIr name. or that of your
neighbOr may have been omitted for
other cause, and maybe for some
cause over which you have had no
control. For the purpose of having
an agreed Interpretation of the reg
istration law, the chairmen OF the
democratic, progressive and repub-
lican state central committees each
named an attorney for appointment
by the governor 10 prepare such in
depreciation. This committee of
lawyers has reported Here is part
of the report referring TO purging
and renewal of the lists. 1t will be
we'll 10 see that the duties assigned
to county officials are properly per-
formed and the lists checked as early
as possible.
Here are the observations of the
committee of lawyers on the points
mentioned:
Must Keep Poll Books.
The general election law requires
the clerk Of the circuit clerk of
county to safely keep the poll books
of the voters made by the clerks
at the general election held in No
vember 1914, for six months. after
which time they may be destroyed.
If such poll books of any precincts
are destroyed or are not accessible
then all of the voters in such pre-
cinct must register in 1916.
In all precincts where the poll
books made by the clerks at the gen
eral election held in November, 1914,
have not been destroyed and are ac-
cessible the auditor shall strike off
the registration books of such pre-
cincts for the year 1914, the names
of all registered voters who failed
TO vote at the general election in
November, 1914 The names sh uld
ton proper and in the index of the
registration book.
The theory of the registration law
is that the registration books of each
precinct shall constitute d perma-
nent registration record unless they
have been destroyed. mutilated or
are inaccessible or are for any other
reasonable cause unfit to be used. in
either of which events there must be
an entire new registration of all the
voters residing within a precinct
where such condition exists.
Law Provides Rules.
The law contemp plates, however,
that the names of the registered vot-
ers who failed to exercise the right
of suffrage at the last general cleo
ton next preceding shall be determin
ed by comparing the registration
books used for the Identification of
voters and the books kept by the poll
clerk of the last general election
next preceding and that the names
of those who were registered but did
not vote shall be stricken from the
registration lists. In any precinct
where the poll books have been de-
stroyed or cannot be found, it Will be
impossible to correct the registration
books as contemplated by the stat
ute and the registration books are
thereby rendered unit for use. and
in such precincts the necessity exists
for a complete re-registration.
If the registration books are de-
stroyed. mutilated, inaccessible or are
for any reasonable cause UNIT for
use or if the poll books kept 10y the
poll clerks at the last general cleo
ton have been destroyed or lost. or
for any other reason 1t is impossi Die
for the auditor tC obtain the pos
session of the same. then the auditor
shall give notice for "a registration o.
all voters resident within such pre-
c'nct
We recommend that the question
OF whether there is TO be a complete
registration of ali voters resident in
any of the precincts be determined
at once by the several COUNTY audit
ors and notice thereof given by them
at once to the county chairman OF
all political parties in their coun-
ties
WITH OTHER EDITORS Il