Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-05
NEWS OF THE LEGISLATURE
ABSENT VOTERS
WILL BE HELPED
Ramsey Black Has Bill Pre-
pared to Enable Men to Vote
Away From Home

Thousands of business. travelling,
railroad and college men and others
will be affected by the provisions of
n bill Representative Ramsey G.
Black, of this city, will introduce into
the House tonight, by which ANY
duly qualified voter of this Common
wealth. wko, by reason of his duties,
business or occupation, is unavoid-
ably absent from his lawfully desig-
mated election district, and outside of
the county in which he is an elector,
but within the Commonwealth, on
the day of holding any general. mu-
nicipal, or primary election, may vote
by marking his ballot in any election
district of this Commonwealth whore
he may be upon the day such election
is held
Under the proposed act, such a
voter may vote only for such officers
or upon such questions as he would
be entitled to vote for or on, were
he casting his ballot in the district in
which he has his legal residence"
Another provision is that amy
voter expecting to be absent from the
county in which his lawfully desig
n-ted district is situated on the day
o. any general, municipal or primary
election and who desires to cast his
ballot at such election, may make ap-
plication not more than sixty days or
less than five days preceding such
election to the county commissioners
of such county for certificate of
qualification and an official absent
voters ballot"
The certificate of qualification shall
be issued by the county commission
ers," the bill further stipulates, and
shall set forth the name of such voter,
the name of the ward or district of
the city, borough, town or town.
ship; the certificate of qualification
oh oil cot
has been duly entered on the registry
list by the assessor thereof, as ap-
pears from such list; il the voter is q
resident of a city, the certificate of
qualification shall set forth that the
voter personally registered according
to law"
The bill also provides that the
county commissioners of the several
counties shall prepare and have print
ed, in addition to the regular official
ballots, additional official ballots TO
be known as absent voters ballots,
such ballots TO be in the same form
as the regular official ballots except
lat upon the back of them shall be
printed, in addition to the form now
required by law, the words, Absent
Voters Ballot"
There also shall be prepared"
under the bill, three envelopes of
such size and shape that will permit
tne placing OF one IN the otueF' on
the first shall be printed only the
words, Absent Voters Ballot" on
the second shall be printed the certifi-
cate of qualification, the affidavit of
the voter; and the certificate of the
Judge of the election of the district in
which said voter presents himself; and
on the third shall be printed the
name. official, title and post office ad-
dress of the prothonotary or tie
county commissioners of the county
in which such voter resides, and to
whom the returns shall be made.
These envelopes are to be employed
in furnishing the absent voter means
of exercising his right of suffrage as
provided by the act, registered mail
being the medium to be used and the
absent voter to defray the postage
thereon.