The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-04-07

Of the General Laws Relating to Qualifi-
cations of Voters in Town Meeting, Pro
viding that Women Voters Shall Take
the Freeman's Oath and Pay Poll Tax
and from the language of the act You will
observe that qualification heretofore eA-
isting, namely, the ownership OF real es-
tate and personal property, and the pay 4
ment of the taxes on the same no longer
qualify woman as a voter but she must
take the freeman's oath and pay n poll
tax. In order to pay the pol tax she,
must certify in writing her desire SO 10
do by filing a written request with tue
listers that she be assessed on or before
April 20. /
You will find the law to be exactly as
| state it to the listers and you will par
don me, if ! call your attention to the
fact that YOU are in error IN Insisting tina.
the suffrage laws of the state say that
woman if she owns real estate or per-
sonal property and pays taxes on thei
same is qualified to vote in town meeting.
They did say that and that was the law
prior to the passage of the act. Il copy of
which | enclose.
IF you wish to qualify as voter in
town meeting you will have to file writ
ten request with the listers as provided
by the act, take the freeman's oath and
pay your tax prior to the 18th day of
next February. That YOU may own real
estate or personal property, or both, and
have paid or do pay taxes ca this prop
erty cuts absolutely no figure So far as
your qualification for voting is concerned.
the qualifications of voters i'll town meet
ing being determined by the act, copy
| of which | enclose
Yours very truly,
CHARLES A. PLUMLEY,
Commissioner.
The new legislation is as follows:
/ Sec 1916. a male or fenla.e citizen,
81 years of age who has taken the free
mans oath and whose list, including poll,
| is taken in town at the annual assess
ment preceding town meeting. and whose
tax or taxes due such town were paid
Erior to the 18th day of February preced-
ing such town meeting, or who has at
tanned the age of q years subsequent to
the last annual assessment, or who is
exempt from taxation for any cause, shall,
while residing in such town, te a voter
in town meeting; but such male citizen al
female citizen, if resident Of an incor,
porated village, within such town, shall
commissioner unless at least l. per cent
| of the last highway tax OF Such incorpe
rated village has been paid to the tawr
: treasurer to be expended upon the high
ways of the town outside Of suen moor
porated village.
Section 677 of the general laws i
} amended so as to read as follows: Eek
eept as provided in Seetioa 6s3. lister
) shaIl set the polls of all male inhabitant
: of the state and such females as file
: written request with the listers befor
the date of expiration Tor fling tax in
0 ventories with the listers, citizens. AM
0 aliens, over 81 and under 20 years OF age
in the grand list of the town wherejl
n such male and female inhabitants rcsitl
i on the first day of April in each year a
/ 81 each
The women OF Vernon who desire [
t vote have only IL more days IN which t
file written request with the listers. "
# ters cannot vote unless they ha%e paid ii
II poll tax stated and in this respect ma
b and female voters in Vermont are equal.