Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-09-03
IMPORTANT DECISION
ON WOMEN'S VOTES
Atty. Gen. Elaine Gives Opinion
on Provisions and Require
ments Under Which
Women May Vote.

IL,
Blaine in an opinion to Merlin Hull,
secretary statef, on Thursday out
lined the provisions Of the law and the
reuiremqents under which women
may vote. The opinion reads:
"The proclamation by the United
States secretary of state is the only
publication or promulagtion provided
for and is the only one needed. All
citizens, including state and other Of
ficials, take notice of the federal pro-
clamation and are presumed to know
that the United States constitution
has been amended and what the
amendment is.
are. based on the assumption and the
understanding that women have or
will have presently have the right to
vote:
as the wife of acitizen of the United
States also citizen, notwithstanding
she was born an alien? Yes. An al
len, that is, foreign-born woman, be-
comes a citizen upon her marriage to
a citizen of the United States Furth-
ermore, the naturalization of an alien
husband naturalizes his wife and his
minor children. Any woman who
is now or may hereafter be married
to citizen of the United States and
who might herself be lawfully natu-
rallied, shall be deemed citizen.
On the other hand, a woman may lose
her citizenship by marrying an alien
The husbands citizenship controls or
determines that of his wife.
What is the retirement as to regis
tration of women preliminary to the
right to vote? The same as the re-
quirement for men, The Nineteenth
amendment abolishes the distinction
of sex in the matter Of voting. Where
the men must register in order to vote
the women must also register, and
where the men are not required to
register the women are not. If we
bear in mind thefundamental rnlethat
the law on this subject is exactly the
same for women as it is for men, it
enable us to answer. nearly every
question that will arise on account of
the enfranchisement of women. I'm
der the Nineteenth amendment, the
exercise of the right Of suffrage by
women is subject to precisely the
same regulation that the right of
men is subject to.
MAY an unregistered woman swear
in her vote at the September prima-
ry? She may do SO whenever a man
similarly circumstanced would swear
in his vote. But is not apparent how
this question is to have any practical
application. Primary day is regis
tration day and every qualified elector
in any election precinct where regis
tration is reuired may register on
that day. The coming primary is to
be held in every election precinct in
the state The same residence is
However, the residence of the wife
is controlled by that of her husband,
long as marital relation continues.
A person must have resided in the
state one year and in the election
district where he or she offers to vote
ten days next preceding any election
in order to be qualified to vote thereat.
Should the ballots cast by women be
counted or kept separate from the
ballots cast by men? The law makes
no such requirement A common bal
lot box should be used and if this
rule is observed it will be impossible
to determine the sex of the elector
who cast any particular ballot unless
the ballot were sworn in and it's