Case Name: LORIO v. SHERBURNE
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1908-11-16
Citations: 122 La. 434
Docket Number: No. 17,281
Parties: LORIO v. SHERBURNE.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Reports
Volume: 122
Pages: 433–437

Head Matter:
(47 South. 760.)
No. 17,281.
LORIO v. SHERBURNE.
(Nov. 16, 1908.
On Rehearing, Dec. 14, 1908.)
1. Elections (§ 103*) — Registration op Voters — Persons Entitled to Register.
When a person applies to be registered, under section 3 of article 197 of the Constitution, and section 29 of Act No. 98, p. 148, of 1908, and is unable, correctly, to fill out the blank form of application prescribed by such law, the registrar is without authority to register him, having absolutely no discretion in the matter.
[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Elections, Cent. Dig. § 101; Dec. Dig. § 103.*]
On Application for Rehearing.
2. Elections (§ 107*) — Applications to Compel REGISTRATION — COSTS.
Applications to compel registration of qualified voters or to purge the registration rolls of names illegally placed thereon are without costs both in the court below and on appeal; Const, art. 201; Act No. 199, p. 461, of 1898, §§ 17, 18; Ballard v. Puleston, 113 La. 235, 36 South. 951.
[Ed. Note. — Eor other cases, see Elections, Dec. Dig. § 107.*]
(Syllabus by the Court.)
Appeal from Twenty-First Judicial District Court, Parish of Iberville; Calvin Kendrick Sehwing, Judge.
Mandamus by Bernard Lorio to compel Henry A. Sherburne, registrar of voters, to register him as a duly qualified voter. The writ having been denied, Lorio appeals.
Amended and affirmed.
John Howell Pugh and Walter Lemann, for appellant. Edward Blount Talbot, Paul Geddes Borron, and Frederic Paul Wilbert, for appellee.

Opinion:
MONROE, J.
Relator applied to be registered, under section 3 of article 197 of the Constitution, and section 29 of Act No. 98, p. 148, of 1908, and was denied registration because of his inability to correctly fill out the blank form of application prescribed by the constitutional and statutory law.
1-Ie says, in his testimony, that he was told that he had not filled out the blank properly, and was offered another, which he declined, as he could do no better. The blank which he used is in the transcript and speaks for itself. It is not properly filled out, in that it fails to give, in addition to the years and months, the odd number of days, of the applicant's age, and is undated. The registrar is absolutely without discretion in the matter, and, relator not having complied with the test prescribed by law, was without authority to register him.
For the reasons thus given, as also for those assigned in the case of State ex rel. Bishop v. Sherburne, 47 South. 759 (this day decided), the judgment appealed from is affirmed.
Ante, p. 429.