Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-24
E,eulnY EVenins Yesterday lO0O
p,.n.r;ne for the New Voters.

Preparing for the ne"
Conceding that the snarl over the al
leeed ratification Of the Equal ounIase
Amendment by the Tennessee Leeisla-
ture-to say nothing of other oos'ruc',on, US
tha, NAV be hurled in the pathway OF al,
xomen TO the ballot-box-will be cleared
in time to permit Of participation IN 'ne
November election, the question OF pre-.
pairing for the qualification Of the army o'
new voters and the reception OF their No''s
on election day will be concern IN aui'e
number Of States. especially IN Delaware
The situation is receiving careiui a''
.;on from, the Department of Elections IN
Wilmington, and doubtless the feeisu
tion and election officers throughout ,no
state also are looking into the matter
with view 20 making the best possioie
arrangements -. os
Conceding that large majority oi
Delaware women will desire to register ioi
voting ;f the books shall be opened TO tnem'
!, will bc seen that this means almost
doubling of the largest vote cast AZ a.s
r,ev;ous election. Yet the provisions ior
registration and voting Will De preciseiS
the same as they were at previous eieo
,;o,s Also with only two more days 70 oe
devoted 10 registration, the eh'iie hu,
ber of women desiring to ENJOY 'he
privilege of franchise will have 70 se..ne
registration in these two days. WINE II is
possible TO perform this work 10 this .,le'
!. v;,l be recognized that difficulty VIII De
encountered. and the best advice 'iia'
car he o;ven 70 women who desire to vote
!. that on the days of registration tney
10 10 the respective places at the opening
hour GET into line. and stay right on 'ne
lob until the expiration of the time Irnl.
on the second day. Only by this plan VIII
il be possible to complete the "ofh u
registration.
And special efforts will be required on
the day of election in order TO receive VIC
augmented vote. All voters snouio oea,
this far, in mind and resolve TO be on hano
early form milne, and stay untiitneii So'e1
have been deposited in the baiiot-ooNes'
The districts are none too many IN NUM-
Der al present, and promptness alone WIN
enable all the vot1s to cast tneii paiio's
in some of the large districts.
IL is believed that little trouble VIII DE
encountered in the city of Wilmington d
The women voters will be prompt ana
nrac,ical in respect of registration. ana all
voters in respect of voting Nor are there
an unduly number of voters IN any OF 'iie
d;s,r;c,s of rural New Castle county, the
vote in 1916 ranging from 52l' IN the
Third Election district OF the SIXTH REPRE-
sentative district, to l33 in the Second oil
the fifteenth.
In the two lower counties, however
there are more voters 10 the district me
1916 vote in Kent county ranged from 90
in the First Election district of the flfth
Representative district to $50 IN the fIfst
of the Third. In Sussex county, from fo@
in the First Election district OF the first
Representative district to 26l In the lhifu
Of the Sixth. With district totals multi
piled bv two. or approximately, and vote
of this wear will become formidable IN the
more populous districts there Will be
great rush at the registration places, while
a much larger time will be required In
counting the ballots on election night.
And in some DISTRICTS, this work has run
well into the morning after at past eiec-
tions
Manifestly, the pressing need is ior
changes in the law-for at least one more
day Of registration and more districts lot
both registration and voting. But such
measures of relief can only be supplied by
the Legislature, and although speciai
session for this purpose has been suggest
ed. il may well be imagined how our
people shrink from the possibility OF such
an affection as another special sitting OF
our lawmakers.
So the probabilities are that II our
women should become eligible to registra-
ton and voting at the November election,
we shall be obliged to do the best we can
under existing provisions to meet the
emergency. And also, the snarl may refuse
20 become untangled in time TO permit
q full participation in the voting by the
women of the country.