Evening star., 1946-05-31
State Attorney General
Clarifies Registration
Law in Maryland
BY the Associated Press

! BALTIMORE, May 31.-Attorney
General William Curran said last
night that a new legislative act
Will be necessary to permit unaf-
flllated voters Of Baltimore City and
Montgomery and WaShington
Counties, whether veterans of World
War II or net, to vote in the June
"a primaries.
Gov. OConnor had asked for Mr..
Curran's opinion on petitions he has
received asking that a special ses-
sion be called to clarity the voting
laws.
Mr.. Curran said he had mailed his
opinion to the Governor and al
though he declined to give the exact
text, he made these observations
Ito clear up some real or fancied
misconceptions"
l. That in q of the % counties,
there will be another registration
day on June 18, at which persons
may register Or affiliate himself
with party if now unaflliated.
Absentee Ballot Permitted.
2. That in Baltimore City, Mont
gomery and Washington Counties.
veterans discharged within 30 days
Iof the primary may make applica-
ton for ballot under the absentee
voting law:
5. That persons in the two coun-
ties and Baltimore had the right to
register through May "a or to affili-
ate with a party if they were un-
affiliated. If they Gid not exercise
this right, whether they are veterans
or nonVeteranS, they cannot vote
under the present law.
4. In dealing with Section 29CB).
relating to cancellation of the regis
tratlon of persons who have not
voted within five years, while we be-
lleVe that policy of liberal con-
Structlcn should be followed. we are
forced to the conclusion that the
provisions Of this section are man
datory
However, it does not apply to
person in the armed forces. **
Senators Ask Special Session.
any veteran who has received n
card OF cancellation (of registration)
or any veteran, though he has not
received such card, but knows he
has not voted within the last five
years, Will have no difficulty in hay-
ing his registration card restored to
the precinct simply by making ap-
pllcatlon to the Board Of Supervisors
up to the time the binders 20 out
to the precincts"
Earlier. State Senators Stephen &.
Campbell, Jr,, and E Milton Altfeld
had called for special session of
the Legislature.
Under terms of a 1945 bill. cleo
ton supervisors were directed to
cancel the registrations of persons
who had not voted IN the past flye
years.
Some persons, including Senator
Radcliffe, Democrat, Of Maryland
ana William Preston Lane OF Ha-
gerStoWn. a candidate for the Dem
ocratlc nomination for Governor,
asked Gov. OConOr to call a spe-
clal session. They asserted that
many veterans who were overseas
would be Gistranchised under the
present law.
Curran's Action Criticized,
Gov. O'Conor took no action on
calling the session pending advice
from the Attorney General on
various aspects OF the present sit
uation."
Meanwhile, former Representative
John a. Meyer, who is seeking re-
nomination, asserted that Attorney
General Curran had a personal
stake in the election since his
Democratic organization has ticket
in the field.
1T is most unfortunate" Mr..
Meyer advised the Governor, that
the Attorney General in his advis-
ory capacity to the election officials,
knowing of the cessation of hostili-
ties more than year ago, did not
anticipate the Woeful inadequacv of
the prevailing registration and cleo
ton machinery, so far as our thou
sands Of returning veterans are con-
cerned."
Mr.. Meyer concluded that I'VE are
left with but one alternative and
that is the calling of a special ses-
sion OF the LEGISLATURE"