Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-22

election day Among the states
that offer this accommodation
are Illinois, Iowa. Michigan and
| ! Wisconsin. |
such as could be CLEANED from the
campaign committees of the states
Many months ago Mr.. Dow. started
the preparatory work for this fea-
ture of the 1920 campaign. and begar
the compilation of the data that woulG
be of greatest interest to state voters
employed here.
| He now has arranged in convenient
form codfication of the state laws
relating to voting, which will be al
the disposal of the District republi-
lean campaign committee at its head
lquarters and available for the guild
lance of all republican voters. whereby
they can be quickly advised on all
points they will require to be in
formed upon.
Data for Voters.
| Mr.. Dow gives the following infor-
nation of general interest to voters
residing in the District:
The general qualifications for vot-
ling are much the same in all of the
states and may be stated to be sub
stantially these: That a person, in ad
dition to being twentyone years of
age (women as well as mem shall
have been a resident of the state for
a period of at least one year, of the
icounty for at least sixty days and of
1.-THE precinct or district in which he
|offers to cast his vote not less than
thirty days.
The details of these qualifications
jare of little Importance to the Dis
ltrict of Columbia voters. however, for
the reason that there will be few in
stances where one claiming vote in
a state will not have these qualifica-
tions. except in those states where
actual personal residence is required
las, for instance. in a state where the
removal of ones family from the
state is presumed to have been done
with intent to change their legal resi-
dence unless such removal was for
the purpose of establishing a more
convenient residence because of en-
ployment in the service of the
federal government.
Cites Court Rule.
An illustration of the way in which
fthe authorities of some of the states
are REQUIRED to view the matter of
residence Will be found in the rule
laid down by the court of appeals of
1.-THE state of Maryland. which, in a
decision of that court, defined mans
lresidence for voting purposes as This
lsctual home in the sense of having no
Iother home" whether he intends to
reside there permanently or for a
definite or indefinite length of time
las result of this decision the Mary
Iand authorities say that "a man
lshail register where he lives"
II he claims the right to register
he must show that his home in the
ordinary acceptance Of the wore
home" is somewhere other than al
the place at which he physically
dwells. They qualify this, however, by
holding that mere temporary absence
1 from the q "a
year will not disqualify a citizen
provided that his home in the ordi.
nary meaning of the word home
has not for some part of the veal
been outside the limits of the state
This however, is narrow view ant
is held by no other state, SO far a.
an examination of the various cleo
tions laws discloses.
The general rule is that that plac.
shall be considered and held to bt
the residence of a person in which
his habitation is fixed and to which
whenever he is absent he has the in
tention of returning, and that per
son shall not be considered or hello
to have lost his residence who shall
leave his home and go into another
state for temporary purposes merely
with the intention of returning.
Does Not Lose Status.
With few exceptions, however, tn.
removal of ones family into another
locality because of the fact that hi.
employment in the federal service re
quires his personal presence there
does not cause him to lose his status
as a legal voter at his former home
so long as he claims the right to ex.
ercise his franchise at his former
place of residence and does not evi.
dence an intention to take up per-
manent residence at the place where
locata1 for convenience he
cause of his employment. This is the
rule which enables federal employees
located in the District of Columbia
to continue their right to vote in the
states from which they removed theiI
families when they entered the gov.
eminent service.
In some of the states the payment
of a poll tax is requisite to the
right to vote.
enacted laws that permit voters whose
business or employment will require
them to be absent from their voting
residence on election day to vote by
mail with the same effect and with
all the privileges as II they We're per-
sonally present at their voting pre-
cinct on election day. To accomplish
this. and it may here be said that the
reouirements about to be mentioned
are substantially the same in all the
states which permit this character OF
|
absent on election day must, within
the time prescribed by the several
statutes, usually not more than thirty
DAYS before and up to within ten days
nrior to election, make written appli.
cation in affidavit form for the ballot
or ballots to be voted at the ap.
preaching election.
Applicant Makes Afidavit.
In this affidavit the applicant makes
oath or affidms that he is resident
of the district or precinct in which he
claims the right to vote; that he has
been such legal resident for the time
necessary to qualify him as a voter
therein: that he is legally entitled te
so vote at the approaching election
that his business or employment is
| such that he will be required to bt
absent from his voting place on the
| date of holding the election. and tina,
because of that fact he will have nc
opportunity to vote in person on thai
day.
He concludes his affidavit with ar
application for the official ballot OF
ballots to be voted by him at sucf
election if he is in fact absent ant
agrees that he will return the same t.
the official issuing them in sufficien
time for them to be delivered to thu
tproper polling place at the time speci
fed by law. In those instances where
one can vote at primary elections il
this way the applicant must. in addi
ton, designate the name of the politi
cal party with which he is affiliated
| lust as he would be required to do i
he were present in person.
Immediately upon receipt of sucI
annIication which, by the way car