Evening star., 1950-11-07
Districts Non-voters
Stand on SideIines
While Nation Ballots
By Robert X. Welsh

| 1111Co GOQdy.
The presence of absentee voters.
estimated in the neighborhood of
100000. gave the disenfranchised
Nations Capital an acknowledged
but still distant kinship to the rest
OF the campaigning country.
Only few hundred, those with
legal residences in Rhode Island,
Missouri, California or the State
OF Washington, were mailing bal
lots postmarked from this city
today.
But thousands of others. in
Guiding more than $500 who Wis
tied the booth conducted by the
League of Women Voters in the
lobby of The Star Building, have
provided this community with a
specialized suffrage experience
found nowhere else in the United
States.
Other evidence of electoral ex-
cltement was not lacking in the
District. Democratic and Repub-
llcan national headquarters swung
into final bustling day and night
OF comforting, counting and COM
mentlng on returns from every
where except the District.
No Rallies Here.
Unlike the extra electoral trim
mings two years ago, however, few
special get -togethers, rallies, social
festivities or similar splurges have
been arranged here by national or
District offices of the major party
organizations.
An open house" will be held
by the Republican State Commit
tee for the District. It will start
at z pm. in the Presidential Room
of Hotel Statler.
The nonpartisan service offered
to absentee voters by the League
OF Women Voters did not have
as many applicants as it had dur
ing the 1948 presidential cam
paign. but in many ways it was
more interesting ana thrilling.
Mrs. Clarence E. Fisher, director
OF the center. said.
Missouri had an absentee voting
law for the first time this year.
MiSSourians in the District showed
up by the scores to inquire about
applying for ballots, Mrs. Fisher
disclosed.
"And you would be surprised"
she said, "how many District peo-
pie, many just turned 81, came
to our booth and had to be turned
away when we learned that their
only legal residence was here.
Your heart would ache for those
eager young people who want to
vote but can't because they live
in Washington"
The absentee voting picture in
the District has been running for
many weeks. It was unusually
varied here because the offices
maintained by the Republican and
Democratic organizations and the
League of Women Voters had to
answer myriad questions about
systems and often about candi-
dates and issues in 40 States.
Many Different Regulations.
The 80 women who volunteered
to handle the booth in The Star
Building went to school" for
week in August. Similarly, those
in charge of the political party
centers have had years Of expert
ence. The 40 States not only have
different regulations for applying
for and mailing absentee ballots,
but many of them set different
time limits and eligibility require
mentS
Spokesman for the Republican
center at 1887 Connecticut avenue |
NV. and the Democratic Office at |
1903 H street NV. reported that |
activity has been greater than |
during the presidential period
of 1916 but not as heavy as in 1948.
Neither would hazard an over
all total or State-by-State break
down of the number of absentee
ballots sent from the District for
this election.
Democratic headquarters said it
had received at least 10000 re-
quests for information on how to
apply for ballots.
Thousands Apply Directly.
'It is safe to say that a large
majority of those who consulted
us about absentee ballots got them
and mailed them in," a party Of
fetal said.
Republican headquarters limit
ed it's estimate to many thou
sand"
Estimates in past years ranged
from about $4,000 to as high as
100 900 for the total mailed from
the District to other States. A
Republican Party leader here said
he believes the 100000 combined
total is too high. Others placed
the probable total at closer to
| loo, 600.
Rhode Island eligible voters may
vote by absentee ballot only by
notorizing and mailing their bal
lots on election day. Missourians
may post absentee ballots today,
but the ballots must arrive before
pm. tomorrow in Missouri to be
counted. The State of Washing
ton allows it's absentee voters to
send ballots on or before election
day.
The 36 other States that allow
absentee voting require that bal
lots be mailed before election day.
Maryland is one of the eight
States with no provision for alb
sentee voting. The others are
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South
Carolina, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Delaware, which permits qualified
voters in the armed services to
use such ballots, and Alabama
which last year abolished its alb
sentee voting system.
Republican and Democratic alb
sentee voting centers were to re-