Evening star., 1952-10-12
By lsobelIe Shelton

pOliS NOVcUlUcC 4.
According to Mrs. Clarence E.
Fisher, director of the Absentee
Voters Service of the District
League of Women Voters, the
absentee voters booth which the
league operates in The Star Build
ing lobby before each election is
much buster than it ever has been
before.
II frankly am amazed at the
crowds which have been COM
ing in here. asking every imagina-
BILE kind of question on their
voting rights" Mrs. Fisher says.
We've had people come in who
admit they haven't voted in IS
years. But they are obsessed with
the idea to vote this time. Some
say they cast their last vote for
Harding or Hughes" The former
was the g. o. P. standard-bearer
in 1920, the latter in 1916.
Gives TV Credit
Mrs. Fisher thinks that televi-
sion should get much of the credit
for the stepped-up interest.
People come in here and talk
as II they actually were at the
conventions. They really feel they
were, after seeing 1t on television.
They feel that having been there
they ought to follow through"
Another factor causing in
creased interest. in her opinion.
is the fact that this is the first
"open race" in many years--that
is, one in which the incumbent
President has not sought re-elec-
ton.
The league is determinedly non
partisan in dealing out it's in
formation, as it is in all its other
operations. But Mrs. Fisher con-
fesSes to a natural curiosity as to
what is on the minds of those
seeking MISUNDERSTANDING
those who apparently are stirred
this time as they haven't been for
many years.
She also wondered what was on
the minds Of the sizable number
Of Wisconsin voters who came in
to arrange for ballots in the recent
Wisconsin primary. in which the
controversial Senator Joseph r.
Mccarthy was up for renomina-
ton.
Naturally. she can't ask the
voters what's on their minds. And
she doubts if they would tell her
If she did ask. She and her several
assistants don't even ask those
seeking information to give their
names.
Minds Made Up
She does get the very definite
feeling that those who are taking
the trouble to get an absentee
ballot have their minds well made
up as to what names they will
check on the ballot.
The "n1ost heartbreaking" part
Iof her job. Mrs. Fisher says, is
dealing with native Washingto-
mans. particularly young people,
who say they would do anything
to vote for President in this cleo
ton"
This group is so often for
gotten, because we think of Wash
|ington as Q place to which people
come from some place else" she
commented. But there are hun
|dreds Of thousands to whom this
lis a home town. We don't like to
tell them to move to Maryland or
Virginia"
Young Ladies' Toke Note
The league does nave q bit of
helpful advice for unattached
young ladies without a vote, how
ever.
"We advise her to marry a man
with voting rights back home. She
has to be sure to pick her State
carefully, though. There are. IA
States which allow a wife to as
sumo voting privileges in her hus-
bands home State, after a certain
waiting period"
The States are Florida, Indiana,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,
North Carolina, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Rhode Island, WASH
|ington, West Virginia and Wis
consin. Mrs. Fisher says there
has been quite a brisk demand
from young ladies for the list.
She cautions that many Of these
States would require the wife to
be present in person long enough
to register before she could vote.
But one registration stays good in
definitely in most States, If the
voting franchise is exercised regu-
larly.
New York State is an exception
to this. she added. There voters
must register in person before
each election in which they cast
IA ballot.
you'd be surprised at the