The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-04
EIGHT THOUSAND
 WOMEN oF COUNTY
 QUALIFY AS VOTERS
Voting Strength of Imperial Jefferson Now Totals Thirty-Six Thousand.
 Largest on Record
By ETHEL GILLEN

Approximately 4,5O0 women registered in Birmingham yes terday. This brings the total up to 5000 who have registered during the past six days the registration books have been open and breaks all former records.
 Women from practically every courthouse corridors swamping the dozen clerks detailed by M. E. Morris, election commissioner to care for their applications. So large was the crowd that additional clerks were detailed from the office of D. E. McLendon. tax assessor, to assist in this work, and Judge J. P. Stiles and several of his clerks devoted the entire day to fill ing out applications for the women who were anxious to have their names on the voting lists.
 Under the existing laws yesterday was the last day in which they could register. This law required that the registration books shall be closed for sixty days prior to the holding of general election which is on November 2, this year. It is expected, however. that the legislature at it's special ses- sion, beginning September 14. will pass additional laws allowing the election commissioner to reopen them
 From the time the election com missioner opened his office yester- day morning until it closed about midnight the women josued each other in their efforts to have their application blanks filled out and secure their registration receipts. All during the day the line reached to the Twenty-first street entrance
 of the courthouse. Several tables
 were placed in the hall and clerks
 stationed at each to handle the crowds.
 Many women brought their small children with them and many were ac- companied by their husbands. During the afternoon hours there were num-
 
 courthouse taking care of their small children while their wives were qualify ing to cast the ballot.
 OVER THE TOP
 Taken as a whole the fair sex went over the top on their own responsi- bility. needing little aid from the male members of their family who in many instances accompanied the women to register. In the majority of instances the women started their political careers by demonstrating that they were certainly able to take care of themselves in any situation.
 During the past few/days s, 900 wom- en have qualified to vote in Jefferson county. This means that since the of ficial proclamation was issued an- nouncing the ratifica tion of the nine teenth amendment the voting strength of this county has reached 36,000 counting the 2S,000 male voters that were on the list at the time of the democratic primary in May.
 Although a number of men have reg istered since the primary election in May. they are certainly in the minority since the women started registering It was amusing to see young men who had just become 21 years of age at tempting to register yesterday with such crowd of women. They had some trouble in getting through, but everyone was good natured and patient about the jostling and pumping in the line.
 Everyone seemed to be most con- siderate of older women and when one came along. she was imme- diately given the right of way and taken direct to the commissioner without having to get in line and wait her turn. Many officials of the courthouse who visited the reg fstratiOn booths several times dur ing the day commented on this and
 and especially the splendid man. ner in which the younger women gave way to the older ones.
 BECAUSE"
 Many of the women declared they were registering because their hus- bands made them. Others stated they were registering just because they wanted to vote. However every wom- an who appeared before the election commissioner was apparently thrilled with the new found right and many of them rushed immediately to the office of the tax collector anxious to pay their poll tax. They were informed that they were in the same status as boy vember 2. 1920. and were allowed to register and vote, although their poll
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