Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-27

shall not only show where he Is
now living at the time of the applt-
cation. for instance, in December.
but also where he was on April
first, in order to enable the board OF
registration to more quickly locate
that individual and see that he Is a
duly registered voter.
Another slight change 4, by strik-
ing out of the application the word
otherwise" and inserting In place
thereof the words "by mair'. The
application now reads that a person
desiring to exercise his franchise by
an absentee ballot shall make appli-
cation lin person or otherwise"
That word otherwise" has very
broad meaning. but it Is understood
to be the application of the individ-
ual himself. The individual makes
! a statement that he hereby applies
for an absentee ballot and that he
resides in such and such a place;
and the instructions for the voter
that are sent out under this law
state that it is not required that the
voter apply in person for the necess-
I AIRY blanks to permit him or her to
come under the provisions of the
law:-it may be done by mail. How
ever. no person is permitted to make
application to be used by any other
SolCI, anu IL ID tHC pun pcoC VI LiO
proposed change to strike out the
words "or otherwise" and inserting
in place thereof the words
"in person. so that it shall read that
the individual shall apply "by mail or
in person" That is done because
some OF the city clerks have received
| applications from neighbors or rela-
tives of the applicant, and that Is not
in accordance with the design of the
law, and it is simply for the purpose
of clearing up a little misunderstood
ing that this change Is desired.
Mr.. President and Members Of the
Senate, I believe that these suggested
changes are desired and necessary,
and as 1 said in the beginning of my
remarks it is in order that the person
| who is ill may have the same priv
| ileges as the person who is going out
of town, even to the next town, to be
| absent on election day.
Mr.. HINCKLEY Of Cumberland:
| Mr.. President and Gentlemen, this
matter was considered very carefully
/ after being properly advertised by
| the committee on legal affairs, COM
mittee composed of ten lawyers all or
! whom have had more or less expert
! ence in election matters, and I am In
| formed that the only person who ap-
| peared as a proponent for the bill was
| my colleague, the senator from Cum
berland, Senator Cram, who has just
! spoken. Many appeared in opposition
| to it, or some at least appeared in OPP
position to it. A similar matter came
! before the judiciary committee, and
after a full hearing the committee on
! judiciary reported unanimously that
! it fought to pass" which report was
| accepted
feel as keenly as the senator from
: Cumberland, Senator Cram, the stu
! alton of those who are afflicted, those
to whom he has referred: and I also
! feel very keenly the situation that not
! might" arise, but that certainly
will" arise if this proposed measure
! should become A law. when under tne
! direction of some INSCRIPTIONS polltl-
clan and some Inscriptions physician
because we have such in this State,
| as well as INSCRIPTIONS lawyers-cer-
tifcates can easily be obtained, and
those parties could colonize under
! thee certificates and vote hundreds,
not only in the city of Portland but In
! every large community in the State
of Maine illegally.
! If under the present law situation
could exist, as was found in one ward
| went into the booths ard voted on the
names of people who were dead, and
! many others who We're not there. what
! a situation might arise to perpetrate
, fraud upon the electorate of the State
! of Maine if by making an affidavit that
! the person making the application
We're i'll could obtain ballot, and
| then he or she or somebody else mark
| that ballot and send it in to the city
| clerk and have it recorded as a vote
! That is the exact situation here. We
have the Australian ballot. the Aus
tralian system of voting, and some of
| the advantage of that 1t done away
| with under the provisions of this
| measure. Any person can be present
| when the party votes under the pro-
visions of this measure, if they say
they are too i'll to come to the voting
| place and can get some physician to
| back them up in it.
Mr.. President, I say it is one of the
most dangerous propositions that has
| been put up to this Legislature. We
! have gone far enough now with the
! absentee vote, and | sincerely hope
! we will close he door and permit only
! those who are authorized now under
the law to vote.
| Mr.. CRAM: Mr.. President, I will
| say that the senator from Cumberland,
! Senator Hinckley, I believe, was not
! at the hearing on this matter before
the committee on legal affairs. There
was no So-calIed opposition. The chair
! man of the board of registration of
. the city of Portland was there. and
it is my recollection that on this par
! ticular subject he had no comment
to make and only said they could
handle it. The changes as suggested
! i'll this bill, relative to changing the
/ words "or otherwise to "by mall"
! and the change in regard to insert
ing the residence of the individual
on April first as we'll as on the day
when he flies the application were
! both suggested by the city clerk of
| Portland, a man who has had much
experience along these lines.
! The Senator from Cumberland,
| Senator Hinckley. referred to the
use of the Australian ballot and that
any one would know how this dis
| abled person voted. l will say in
reply to that that the same rules
and restrictions covering the alb
sentee ballot would apply in the case
! of the invalid as in the case of the
! travelling man or other person who
! was obliged to be out of the city or
| town or state. 1t is provided that the
| magistrate who takes the oath of
! the voter shall state that he does not
! know how the voter votes, and the
voter states under oath that he has
| not shown his ballot after marking
! it to the magistrate, and these same
! provisions will apply and there is no
| necessity for the information being
| given out as to how the absentee
voter has voted.
The Senator from Cumberland,
! Senator Ilinckley, has referred TO
! the conditions in n certain ward in