The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-10-21
County Clerk to Ask Ad-
vice as to Right of Unem-
ployed Who Have Left.
MAY HIT THOUSAND
Law Is Not Plain when 1t
Comes to Deciding Who Is En-
titled to Vote by Mail.

what is an absent voter? 2" This is
the question that County Clerk Charles
l.. Holderness was trying to answer
today and it was said that before the
day is over he might appeal to the
attorney general for a decision.
absent Voters" scores of them, are
appealing to the county clerk for the
right to vote in Kenosha. Many of
these men who have been laid
off from their work in Kenosha
factories during the past few days
and many of them are leaving Keno
sha and they may never return. Most
of them are single men who lived in
Kenosha boarding houses. Many of
them voted at the primary election in
Kenosha and on this account they be-
lieve that they are entitled to vote as
"absent voters here on election day.
Have Left Voting Precincts.
1t is admitted that in some cases the
men have returned to former homes
taking all of their personal belongings
with. them but they will not be in
these places long enough to establish
a residence and the fact that they
voted in Kenosha at the primary makes
it hard for them to seek to claim the
old homes their voting residences.
1t Isl said that possibly thousand
men WHO voted in Kenosha at the pri-
mary are facing the loss of their vote
at the general election unless they
can vote as absent voters" here.
"The law in regard to absent vot-
ing" declared the county clerk this
morning, covers cases where mer are
out of the city attending schools, or
on urgent business and where it is
impossible for them to return to the
state to vote without great loss of time
and money. Now if man leaves Ke-
nosha after being out of work and
goes on a pleasure trip, | am much in
doubt as to his right to vote here. I
want to make it possible for every
man entitled to vote in Kenosha to
cast his ballot either in person or by
mail but l do not want to overstep
the provisions of the law"
See Many Lost Votes.
1t is believed that there will be a
lot of people who voted at the primary
election here who will find it impos-
sible to vote at the election. One
big bunch of men are threatened with
the loss of vote on account of the
fact that the American Brass Boarding
house is closing on October Both. IN
doubtedly the company would be will
ing to keep the place open for several
days if the men showed desire to
vote. There are now one hundred and
ten men at the boarding house, but
it is admitted that many of these
men are not voters and the closing
of the place would probably not eff
feet more than fifty votes.
FlOaters Returning Home.
A census official has declared that
hundreds of names were taken off the
census of Kenosha before the an
nouncement of the population was
made on account of the fact that the
cards returned clearly showed that
these men were residents of other
cities in Wisconsin and other states
1t is believed that every one of these
"floaters" would be entitled to vote in
their home cities as their residence
here is only temporary.
The question which has been raised
has caused feverish activity among
party committees and these commit
tees are generally looking into the
qualifications of the voters. 1t is said
that fifty applications have been made
by men and women for the privilege
to vote by mail and the question OF
their rights to participate in the cleo
ton here must be settled at once.