The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-07-09

ont TIE state %. Mt 90 slyo 70 ths
act TIE effect lnfItli61. st rSl1lFo
the personal Dl5Dcieo q ~ E1lof
b6fofo r6flStor'5s.hlD. An. oolkl'o8
70 The a1lk0fily % The ii1ffar 70
hist abPent voters IN the military ser.
vice On0ul1 Be ,Iumovel.
"(1). A soldier desiTlng 70 vote
must andy By Wfi11lg % tie roSiS-
trar Of his precinct not lees than thir-
" nor more Inn sixty days Dglorfto
the election day. This application
must be made b. registeredime1. The
soldier must either send postage or
legal tender suiiicientrto register the
reply TO his application.
"(3). Upon receipt Of the applica-
ton, the registrar. a. soon ~ he. re-
ceives copies ;Of the Official bail0t
provided for the purpose. IL to for
ward BY. registered mGiiiin care Of'the
commanding officer Of the voter, Cal
ballot to be used BY the voter; (bl
an envelope in which the ballot Is to
be re-sealed: (c) a properly ad-
dressed return envelope directed to
the regietraf; Ia q printed alp CIV
ing Instruction. as to the manner, Of
voting; (e) . certificate Of reghtra-
ton with coupon attached Of . form
specified In tao act.
90. The voter must open the en-
velope containing the ballot n the
presence Of his commanding officer,
or some other officer designated by
him. He must make out q certificate
an dsign the same, to be witnessed BY
the commanding officer; and the COM
handing officer also makes out and
signs O certificate. Of the form and
substance indicated in the act. The
sealed ballot. certificate Of registra-
ton, certificate of the voter and GER
tificate of the officer are all forward
ed b yregIstered mail to a registrar
OF the precinct in which the voter is
entitled to vote.
"(5). The registrar Is required to
deposit the ballots and papers relat-
ing thereto In q sealed box. and seven
days prior to the election, he shall
post at the polling place in his pre-
cinct list Of all the voters who have
applied for ballots. On the elections
day the registrar shall deliver the
books containing the sealed ballots to
the commissioners Of election.
impossible to Vote.
"The impossIbility Of the voters ex-
ercising the franchise under the pro-
visions OF this act should be apparent
to everyone. BY November first at
least twenty-five thousand West Vir-
ginia voters will be Ia France. Their
exact whereabouts will be unknown
to any officer in West Virginia. No.
one out OF a hundred Of the voters in
France will know the name and ad-
dress Of q registrar in the election
precinct in which he Is entitled to
vote. All OF the officers in West vir-
ginia, IL giving the whole time TO the
matter could not. between now and
the election day. furnish to each West
Virginia vote in France the name and
address OF the registrar Of HIS pre-
cinct. Such could only be furnished
upon the written application Of the
voter.
"The time II will consume In get.
ting the application from France to
the registrar in some rural precincts
in counties remote even from railroad
facilities. the ballots printed. and the
same with the proper certificates re.
, turned to the soldier in France. the
name II his commanding officer ascer-
tainedh in whose care the same must
be directed. the return to the regis
trar OF the voted ballot. will render
II out OF the question to secure the
vote OF the absent soldier in the man
ner now provided by law.
Simple Law Needed.
ut Is the duty of the citizens Of
West Virginia to give TO the soldier
boys an opportunity to exercise the
franchise TO cast their ballots. Other
states have simple workable provi.
sions by which the soldier vote can be
accurately taken and honestly count
ed. The governor Of West Virginia