The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-12
OF
 VOTERS LARGEST IN
 HISTORY OF COUNTY
Approxim a t e ly 30,OOO Names on Registration BoOks-Small Number
 of Candidates

When the registration books closed last night it was estimated that over 120oO men had qualified themselves tor voting In the state primary elec- ton to be held on May II, bringing the total registration In the county up close to S0.o0o.
 Two years ago there were over 1S,- coo names on the registration books, but some of these have either died or moved away, reducing this number to robably 17,000. which, with the regis trations since last November, makes the present total approximately 30,0oo.
 No further registrations are per- mitted under the law until after the primary election. when the books will he opened again for a period extend ing to include all but the last sixty days before the November election.
 This is the largest registration ever
 recorded in Jefferson county, and
 probably comes within few thousand
 of the total white male population of
 voting age in the county. It is not likely that all of these 30. 900 will vote
 at the May primary. but with two can didates for United States senator,
 three circuit judges and number of ether offices of considerable impor-
 tance to be nominated at that time, in dications are that at least 75 per cent
 of the total qualified vote will be east CANDIDATES ACTIVE With the closing of the lists of can didates Wednesday night and the line
 lip in the race being definitely ascer- tained. the various candidates began preparations yesterday for actively
 prosecuting their canvasses. Cards announcing platforms and merits and claims of candidates found their way into the hands of almost everyone upon the streets and 1t is safe bet that before another week the voters will
 be more or less familiar with the sev- eral scores of men who are seeking of flee.
 Among the out town candidates
 in Birmingham yesterday were Judge Henry F. Merritt of the court of ap-
 peals, A. G. Patterson of Albany. can
 didate for president of the Alabama public utilities commission. and U. A. Hollis of Sulligent. candidate for rep- resentative In Congress from the Tenth district.
 The small number of candidates for several of the more important offices is somewhat surprising to some of the
 politicians. who had anticipated much larger lists. It had been predicted that at least four or five men would make the race for representative from the Ninth congressional district whereas only two qualified
 JUDICIAL OFFICERS l The same Is true or the Judicial of- 1 fices to be filled in this county at the November election. Three of the ten circuit judges are serving under ap. ] pointment of the governor until the
 November election. and it was expected that they would have several oppon fnts in the primary. Instead how
 ever one of them has no opposition one of them two opponents and the other only enc
 Underwood headauarters in the Nor. ris hotel is visited by scores of me from this and other districts in the state daily and all bring the most en. couraging reports Or the situation as regards the prospects of Senator Un. derwoods reelection. The reports
 from all sections of the state arc
 ytrikingly similar and all of them tel
 Of the overwhelming sentiment ir
 favor of the retention of Senator In I derwood in the upper branch of Con | Eress for another term