Court Opinion

ID: 7816486
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:38:12.850984+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:37.007096
License: Public Domain

Jim Johnson, Associate Justice (concurring). I agree with the majority opinion wherein it is determined that Amendment 39 to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas and Amendment 24 to the Constitution of the United States in no way repeal Amendment 8 to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas. This determination, of course, renders void that portion of Act 19 of the First Extraordinary Session of the Sixty-fourth General Assembly which sought to abolish the poll tax as a requisite to vote in state elections. I concur in this separate opinion for the reason that it is my view that, while this declaratory judgment action was confined to the narrow issues discussed in the majority opinion, in the public interest the Court should have further discussed the remaining portions of Act 19 which immediately affect the right of citizens of this state to vote. First, I feel that it should be pointed out that the valid portions of Act 19 do not radically change the law as it existed prior to the passage of Act 19. Every person who possesses a valid paid 1963 poll tax receipt, and who is otherwise qualified under existing law, can still vote for candidates for federal office until October 1. 1964 as was true under the old law. The new law simply goes further and provides that those persons who failed to qualify by purchase of a 1963 poll tax will be permitted to vote, if they otherwise qualitfy, simply by registering with the county collector during the last 20 days of April of 1964. These registrants will be issued a so-called “free” poll tax receipt which will permit them to vote for candidates for federal office until October 1. As things now stand, the holders of current paid poll tax and “free” poll tax receipts, by virtue of the valid portions of Act 19, will be permitted to vote for candidates for federal office in the summer primaries of 1964. Only those holders of a valid paid poll tax receipt will be permitted to vote for candidates for state and subdivision offices. • ■ I feel that it is necessary now to project the effect of the holding of the Court beyond the summer primaries. Here again the law has not. been materially changed for those who pay the poll tax prior to October 1, 1964. By virtue of the valid portions of Act 19, those who hold a valid paid poll tax receipt issued prior to October 1, 1964, will be considered properly registered for all purposes until July 1, 1965. That is, such registrants, if otherwise qualified, will be permitted to vote in the November, 1964, general election for candidates for state and federal office. Those registrants who hold only the “free” poll tax receipts will be permitted to vote, if otherwise qualified, for candidates for federal office only, provided they register again during the last 20 days of September, 1964, and such registration will be valid for that limited purpose until July 1, 1965. In order to be registered beyond July 1, 1965, both the holders of paid poll tax receipts and those who have not paid a poll tax must register with the county collector at any time during the period between January 1, 1965 and April 10, 1965. The holders of valid paid poll tax receipts will continue to enjoy the privileges of voting in all state and federal elections. All others who register will be limited to the privileges of voting for candidates for federal office only. My second reason for concurring by means of a separate opinion is that I feel that the Court should have pointed out that the net effect of the majority holding, in which I am in complete agreement, is that the people alone have the power to alter the basic difficulty presented by the adoption of Amendment 24 to the Constitution of the United States. Until the'voice of the people of Arkansas is heard by the repeal of the portion of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas requiring the payment of a poll tax as a requisite to voting, this state will be faced with a dual registration system and dual balloting as a resulting necessity.