The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1920-06-10
SEPARATE VOTING
PLACESF0R WOMEN
ATTY. GENERAL ASSUMING SUE
FRAGE WILL NOT PASS, n.
TERPRETS LAW.
Vote ON PRESIDENT ONLY
STATE LEGISLATURE IN RE-
CENT SESSION GAVE LADIES
LIMITED PRIVILEGES

LIMITED PRIVILEGES
Assuming that the federal suffrage
amendment will not be in force at
the time of the general elections,
segregation of women's votes will be
necessary in November pursuant to
the state election laws as interpreted
by Clifford L. Hilton, attorney gem
eral, in a communication Saturday to
the secretary of state. The ruling, it
was said, would be subject to modifi-
cation should the amendment become
operative before that time.
"The secretary of state must furn-
ish separate presidential elector bal
lots for women" the attorney gener-,
al said with reference to the 1919 law
which permits women possessing the
qualifications of male voters to vote
the same as men for presidential
electors. 80 -. :, = ~
'The presidential ticket, for male
voters will appear on the white bali
lot Immediately preceding the state
ballot. Women are not entitled to
vote for candidates for state offices
and it would be misleading and con-
fusmg to present them with ballots
containing the names Of candidates
FOR whom they are not entitled t.
vote. +. ... ....:s. s-.-
"a separate registration of women
voters should be made by the use Of
separate registers or indicating the
sex of each person on single reg
lister. A 1918 statute apparently con-
templates the, use of the same reg
lister for both men and women but
does not expressly provide fo: a re-
cord of the the sex of persons regis
tered
Another provision requires separ-
ate boxes for women's ballots b each
polling place and the attorney gem
eral believes that this rule should
be followed where women vote for
presidential electors. Wonen's votes
for presidential electors and other
candidates for whom they are en-
titled to vote may be- placed in the
same box" @-'~.r ~
Mr.. Hilton also ruled that it be de-
sirable and in furtherance of the leg
islative purpose that separate talley.
sheets of women's votes for presi-
Dental electors be used and the re-
turns and canvass also made apart
from the male vote. "
81
Republicans alone are entitled to
vote in the Republican primaries and
Democrats in the Democratic pr-
maries throughout Minnesota on June
81. Members of other political par
ties voting at the primary election
are liable to prosecution. Enforce
ment of the law is the duty of the
election officials.
A ruling to the foregoing effect by
Clifford L. Hilton, attorney general,
was sent Saturday to Arch Coleman,
chairmsn of the Hennepin County
Republican committee.
eff a person presenting himself at
the polls calls for the ballot of a
political party VITA which he is nc
generally believed to have affiliated,
he should be questioned and required
to take the oath of party fealty,"
says the opinion, written by Rollin
L. Smith, assistant attorney general.
eff he takes such oath the judges
have no further discretion in the
matter. They must permit him to
vote.
"And if he has sworn falsely ne
can, of course, be prosecuted. There
is no way of preventing person
from committing a crime, although
he may be punished for it after its
commission" @
The opinion quotes from that c.
Louis Weeks, deputy attorney gener-
al, previously given Henry NJ. Knott,
Minneapolis city clerk, ON the duties
of election officials to challenge the
vote of persons attempting to vote
unlawfully. That opinion referred
to the law requiring each election
Judge and any authorized challenger
or other voter to challenge such per-
sons whom are known not be quail
fed voters who offer to vote.
l y.