The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-04-07
Page Three

!. and If the reports which they can
vass or examine are correct the sue
cessful candidates are given certifi-
/ Gates of election by the board. So
under this soldier vote law, it Is OBJ
vious that the soldiers may vote and
send In their ballots, but there will
be no person or no board to legally
count their votes, and, consequently,
they can never be counted, and if they
are 1t will result in innumerable law
suits and injunctions by various can
didates involved in the election. An
other odd situation might develop,
the state canvassing board, who are
now state officers could be again can
didates for office and If the supreme
court should allow them to count the
votes they would be placed in the uni
que position of they themselves, as
candidates, resolving themselves into
an board, empowered to judge and
count votes for the offices which they
themselves seek. If time would per-
NIT, | could point out many more
glaring inconsistencies and made
quacies of this law.
But our committee is firmly of the
belief that very few servicemen will
vote under the provisions of this law
and there is extreme doubt that their
votes can ever be counted 1t is to
be regretted that the state legislature
failed to give careful consideration
to this bill. We feel that great ma
jority of the members of both parties
sincerely desired to give the men and
women in the armed forces the right
of franchise, and we do not hesitate
to take issue with the governor on his
statement to the press that the Mon
tana soldier vote law is adequate and
with his announced stand that he will
not call session of the state legis-
lature to provide adequate legislation
or to remedy the defects in this legis-
lation, in order that our soldiers may
have the right of franchise which aft
er all they certainly are entitled to.
| might point out here that under
the soldier registration law, one of
the methods of registration is for two
certify that they know soldier in
the armed forces who is entitled to
vote and after this certification the
clerk and recorder will send such sol
der a registration card. How cum
personnel The state of Montana
should automatically register every
one of its resident men. and women in
H., IL Ill
lot without any such red tape as this
1t is indeed amazing that the governor
of our state, who is a former supreme
court justice, could examine and APP
prove law containing so many I'M
workable provisions. There is only
one way to remedy this situation, and
that is for the governor of this state
to call a special session of the legis-
lature to amend this soldier vote law
and make it workable, in order that
each and every person included in this
provision would have the right to vote
and have the votes counted. Gov
srnor Ford is well aware that such
4 legislative session could be limited
10 this one bill only, and this body
should take only three or four days
at the most to accomplish its work.
The governors of Washington, Idaho,
Utah, Colorado, and many other states
have all called special sessions of
their legislatures to give their citizens
in the armed forces the right to vote
Why the reticence on the part of the
governor of Montana? The soldiers
denied the franchise in this election
will really become bitter about it
after they get home. This is certain
" not the time for making soldier
vote legislation a part of partisan
politics. Any political party that en-
cages in such practices will have its
'ecord blackened for long time to
,ome.
We all know that he soldier vote
aw was made political football by
ur national congress. Let us not
ave a repetition of such tactics for
he citizens of Montana will not stand
o have their representatives in the
rmed forces deprived of their right
D vote. We all know that this is
ne of the cardinal principles of de-
locracy which they, themselves at
his minute, are fighting for. Ger
ainly Montana citizens in and out of
he armed forces do not want to be
on their vote for Presi-
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