Absentee Registration Laws in 12 Additional States Compiled

This is the second of a series of articles appearing in the Crimson, dealing with the laws of absentee registration and voting for students. This article treats with 12 states whose laws contain some provision for absentee registration. These states are Illinois, Iowa, Kentuoky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The laws of Alabama, Miohigan, Mississippi, and New York were printed in a former article; the laws of Arisona and California will not appear because the closing dates for absentee registration in those states have passed.

Illinois--Application for registration may be made by mail on a blank furnished by the election commissioners. Applicant must execute this blank before a notary public and return it to the board of election commissioners to be received by the board after the first registration day and not later than noon of the day before the second registration day. The regular registration days are the Saturday immediately preceding the Tuesday four weeks before the congressional election and the Tuesday three weeks before that election.

Iowa--Application may be made up to and including the tenth day preceding election by writing the commissioner of registration to have name entered upon the poll list and register of precinct. Applicant may mail to commissioner his application and an affidavit in substantially the form provided in the law and giving facts about the location of his residence, naturalization, qualifications for voting, the reason for being unable to register personally, name, place of birth, color, residence in the state, in the United States, and in the election precinct, occupation, etc. Upon receipt of such an application, the commissioner of registration files it and forwards to the applicant original and duplicate registration cards. The applicant is required to sign and acknowledge these cards in duplicate before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths and having a seal, and to return both original and duplicate registration cards to the commissioner of registration.

Kentucky Towns of 5000 or Less

Kentucky Absentee registration is now permitted only in cities and towns having a population of less than 5,000 inhabitants. Not less than ten days before election day elector may make written application for a certificate to the county clerk. The application must give the elector's name, age, residence, voting precinct or ward, state that he is a qualified voter there, the name of the political party with which he is affiliated, and that he is unavoidably absent from his ward or precinct on the last general registration held there. The application must be signed by the applicant and sworn to by him before a civil officer authorized to administer oaths.

Missouri Offers Easy Access

Minnesota--Absentee registration legal in all cities having a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants and governed under a home rule charter. Applicant may make application in writing, up to 15 days preceding election, to the commissioner of registration to have his name entered on the poll list and register of the precinct.

Missouri--In cities having from 10,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, the elector may have his name placed on the registration list at any time before the board of revision meets, by filing with the registrar of the precinct in which he is a voter his affidavit made before some officer authorized by the laws of the state to administer oaths, setting forth the fact that he is a legal voter in that precinct, stating his place of residence, and that he was prevented from registering on the registration days because of absence from the city.

In cities having 100,000 or more inhabitants, the application must be filed in the office of the election commissioners not later than the fourteenth day preceding election. Voter must file at the same time the affidavits of two registered voters of the precinct stating that to their knowledge he is a qualified voter.

No Provision in Nebraska Cities

Nebraska--Voters residing in cities of less than 7,000 inhabitants may be registered by subscribing before a notary public to the affidavit required of a resident elector and mailing the affidavit to the county clerk of the county in which he resides. There is no provision for absentee registration in the law applying to registration in cities of from 40,000 to 1000,000 inhabitants or applying to cities of from 25,000 to 40,000.

Ohio--Absentee registration limited to those prevented from appearing before the registrar because of sickness or physical disability.

Oregon--Applicant may be registered by subscribing to the affidavit required of resident electors before a notary public and mailing the affidavit to the county clerk of the county of his residence.

Limited to Government Agents

Pennsylvania--Absentee registration limited to persons employed in the service of the state or of the federal government.

South Dakota--Student may register by proving himself an elector through his own affidavit or through the sworn affidavit of some elector whose name has already been placed upon the registry list.

Tennessee--Registration may be made by sending by registered mail to the officer or officers holding registration in the precinct, ward, or district in which he resides, a sworn statement that on all the days during which registration was authorized by law he was compelled to be absent. The statement also says that the elector is entitled to be registered in that precinct, and gives his place of residence, his occupation, age, race, marital status, and the length of his residence in Tennessee, the county, city or town, and ward or district in which he resides. The sworn statement must be received before the closing of registration.

Vote May be Sworn In

Wisconsin Any elector who has not registered may swear in his vote by his affidavit substantiated by the affidavit of two freeholders. The procedure is as follows: At the time the voter offers to vote, he delivers to the election inspectors his affidavit in which he states that he is a resident of the election district in which he offers to vote, naming the district, that he is entitled to vote therein, that he has resided in the election district ten days preceding election, giving the street and number of his residence, that he is a citizen of the United States, that he is 21 years of age, and that he has resided in the state one year immediately preceding election. The voter's affidavit must be substantiated by the affidavits of two freeholders, who are electors of the district, corroborating all the material statements. The affidavits must be sworn to before an officer authorized by the laws of Wisconsin to administer oaths. In the case of absentees the affidavit may be delivered to the election inspector by either freeholder whose name appears on it.