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ALABAMA

Unless otherwise designated, references are to Code of Alabama, Recomp. 1959, and to the 1959 Supplement thereto-Title 17.

Voters' qualifications (Constitution of Alabama 1901, Amendment XCI to Section 181)

Age.-21 years.

Citizenship.-Must be citizen of the United States.

Residence.-2 years in State, 1 year in county, 3 months in precinct or ward immediately preceding election (Const. of 1901, Amendment XCVI to Section 178).

Literacy-Must be able to read and write in English any article of the Constitution of the United States which may be submitted to him by board of registrars (also Code § 32). Those persons who were registered as voters before 1903 are still qualified and need not register again (Const. of Alabama, Amendment XCI to Section 181).

Character. Must be of good character and embrace the duties and obligations of citizenship under the Constitution of the United States and Alabama (also Code § 32).

Poll tax.-Must have paid by February 1, next preceding election, all poll taxes due from him for last 2 years (Const. of 1901, Amendment XCVI to Section 178). Exemption.-Blind and deaf persons and persons who honorably served in the military service of the United States during hostilities, are exempt from the poll tax payment as a prerequisite to voting (Const. of 1901, Amendments XC (90) and CIX (109)).

Disqualified from voting (Const. of 1901, § 182)

1. Idiots and insane persons.

2. Those who by reason of conviction of crime were disqualified at the time of ratification of Constitution of 1901.

3. Those who shall be convicted of treason, murder, arson, embezzlement, malfeasance in office, larceny, receiving stolen property, obtaining property or money under false pretenses, perjury, subornation of perjury, robbery, assault with intent to rob, burglary, forgery, bribery, assault and battery on wife, bigamy, living in adultery, sodomy, incest, rape, miscegenation, crime against nature, or any crime punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary, or of any infamous crime or crime involving moral turpitude.

4. Any person who shall be convicted as a vagrant or tramp, or of selling or offering to sell or buy his vote or the vote of another, or of making or offering to make a false return in a general or primary election to procure the election or nomination of any person to office, or of suborning any witness or registrar to secure the registration of any person as an elector.

Registration

Registration is permanent (Code §36) and must be made in person only (Supp. § 31; Code § 27(1)).

Registration application.-Applicant shall fill out a questionnaire in his own writing, duly signed and sworn to, in the presence of the board of registrars, without assistance unless physically handicapped. Application is not a public record. If denied, must be preserved by board for 30 days, after which, if no appeal has been taken, they shall be kept with the records of the board or disposed of in such manner as the board may direct (Supp. § 31).

Contents. The form and contents of the questionnaire shall be prescribed by the Supreme Court of Alabama and filed with the secretary of state and shall be so worded that the answers will give the board of registrars the information necessary to pass upon the qualifications of the applicant (Const. 1901, Amendment XCI; Code Supp. § 31).

Loyalty oath.-Questionnaire shall contain an oath to support and defend the Constitutions of the United States and of Alabama, and a statement dis

1 Prior provision. Amendment No. 55, was declared to be unconstitutional- Daris v. Schnell, 336 U.S. 933 (1949). Present provision, Amendment No. 91, was adopted in 1951.

avowing belief in or affiliation at any time with any group which advocates the overthrow of the Federal or State Government by unlawful means (Const. 1901, Amendment XCI; Code Supp. § 31).

Other data.-Applicant may be required to state under oath his name, addresses, and employers for the past 5 years (Code, 1940, § 43).

Penalty for violations

Perjury. Any person, in registering, who willfully makes a false statement as to his name, address, or employment for the last 5 years, or who falsely takes the registration oath, shall be guilty or perjury and shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years (Code, Title 17, §§ 309, 323, 334; Title 14, § 378).

Illegal voting.-A vote cast at a place other than the voting place at which the voter is entitled to vote shall be illegal (§ 90(3)). Any person who votes more than once at any election, or deposits more than 1 ballot for the same office, or knowingly attempts to vote when he is not entitled to do so, or is guilty of any kind of illegal or fraudulent voting, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for not less than 2 nor more than 5 years, at the discretion of the jury (§ 302).

Voting without registration and oath.-Any person voting at any county or State election who has not registered and subscribed to the registration oath shall be fined from $100 to $1,000 or imprisoned in the county jail, or sentenced to hard labor for the county for from 1 to 6 months (§ 303).

Unlawful registration.-Any person who registers for another, or who knowingly registers or procures the registration of any person not possessing the qualifications of a voter, or who registers more than once shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary for from 1 to 5 years (§ 308).

ALASKA

Unless otherwise designated, references are to Alaska Election Code, being chapter 83 of the Laws of 1960.

Voters' qualifications (Const. Art. V, § 1)

Age. At least 19 years.

Citizenship.-Must be citizen of the United States.

Residence.-1 year in Alaska, 30 days in election district, immediately preceding election.

Literacy.—He shall be able to read or speak the English language, unless he is prevented from complying with this requirement because of physical disability only, or unless he has legally voted at the general election of November 4, 1924 (Election Code § 1.01).

Disqualified from voting (Const. Art. V, § 2) (Election Code § 1.03)

1. Persons convicted of felony involving moral turpitude unless their civil rights have been restored.

2. Persons judicially determined to be of unsound mind unless the disability has been removed.

Registration

Although the Constitution of Alaska authorizes the legislature to provide a system of permanent registration of voters (Art. V, § 4) Alaska does not yet have such a system.

At present the clerks of the District Court provide each polling place with an “original” and “duplicate" register. Each voter, before voting, is required to sign the "original" register, signing his name, together with his resident and marking address, if he is able to do so; otherwise his name shall be signed by the judge of election. The signing of the register by the voter himself, or for him, at his request, in his presence by the judge of election, shall constitute a declaration by such voter that he is legally qualified as an elector in the precinct in which he offers to vote (Election Code §§ 3.18, 3.24).

In the "duplicate" register, the clerks shall write the names of the persons who vote, the names of the persons who offer to vote but are refused, and a brief statement of the basis of the refusal (Election Code § 3.19).

Penalty for violations

Voting in false name.-Any person who votes or attempts to vote in the name of another person or in any name other than his own, shall be guilty of a felony (§ 11.11).

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