Evening star., 1943-06-02
Walker and SpangIe|
Back Bill 10 Extend
Hours for Voting
: Both Major Parties Urge
. More Time to Permit
+. War Workers to Ballot
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

Postmaster General Walker and
Harrison E. Spangler, chairmen OF
the Democratic and Republican Ma
.tional Committees, respectively,
Joined today in support of legislation
ito give war workers more time to
get to the polls in next years elec-
.tion.
They testified before a Senate
Privileges and Elections Subcommit-
.tee on the Lucas bill to keep the
polls open from 6 am. to 9 pm. in
every State for the casting of votes
for presidential electors and mem
pers of Congress.
Both political leaders and Senator
Lucas, Democrat, of Illinois also
urged that everything possible be
done to make it easier for men in
the armed services to cast absentee
ballots next year.
Bill Held Constitutional.
. Emphasizing that his bill has no
effect on balloting for State and
county officers, Senator Lucas said
the measure is clearly constitution
al. He read the provision in the
Constitution which empowers the
States to fix the time, place and
manner of holding elections but adds
that Congress may alter these ar
rangements, except as to the place OF
choosing Senators.
The subcommittee recessed until
later in the week to hear from
leaders of labor and industry before
acting on the bill.
With the polls closing at 5, 6 or 7
pm in most of the States, Senator
Lucas told the subcommittee that
many war workers, travelling long
distances to their plants, would have
no chance of voting next year unless
the pending legislation is enacted.
Since only a few of the State
Legislatures meet next January,
Senator Lucas today amended his
bill to authorize the States secre-
taries of State to arrange for the
new hours if the bill passes.
Spangler Backs Bill.
Mr. Spangler said experience in
.dcates that 1--WE have just as large
"a percentage of voters in States
where the polling places are open
eight hours as in the States with
.12 hours" This, he said, raises a
.question whether the bill will ac-
~complish the desired result of in
.creasing the total vote cast.
He added, however, that he sees
some point to the argument tnat
this is an emergency for war work
-ers and declared, IF any method
can be worked out to take care of
them, it should be done
Not only do I unqualifedly sup
port Senator Lucas BILL said Mr..
Walker, but I believe that legis-
1ation should be enacted as soon
as possible by the Federal Govern
ment and by all States which have
not already done so to facilitate the
exercise of the franchise by mem-
.bers of our armed forces, both with
in the United States and overseas.
Those who are offering their lives
to preserve our democratic way of
life should be given every oppor-
tunity to exercise the privileges of
the democracy for which they are
fighting"
Few Soldiers Voted.
Touching on the same subject, Mr..
Spangler observed that comparative
1y few soldier votes were cast last
year. under the bill Congress jpassed
for that purpose. Last years result
may have been due to the method Of
administering it rather than the law,
he added but urged some way of
making it more practical.
Earlier Senator Lucas had advo-
Gated amending the soldier vote law
to make it possible for every person
in the armed forces in Continental
United States-and outside, if prac-
'ticable-to vote. Referring to last
years results, the Senator said. 1T
is my understanding the officers
more or less discouraged voting"
. Under our form of government
Baid Mr.. Walker, the ballot is the
only mechanism that can be used
by all citizens to make their inf1u-
ence in government effective. The
ballot is the very corner stone of
our democracy. 1t is, eberefore, the
duty of Government To see to it
that, in so far as it is reasonably
possible, every person entitled to
vote shall be given the opportunity
to cast his or her ballot on election
day 1t is hollow to talk of the
right to vote unless we also guaran-
tee the opportunity to vote"
Mr. Walker said there are parts
of one State in which the polls are
only open from 10 am. to pm.
War Glass Plant Closes