Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1916 — MUST REGISTER IF YOU CHANGE PRECINCTS [ARTICLE]

MUST REGISTER IF YOU CHANGE PRECINCTS

Last Legislature Changed Law to Apply Only to Those Who Have Moved. Indiana voters who have moved from one precinct to another since the election of 1914 should not lose sight of the fact that they are required to register this year if -they expect to vote at the election next November. Both political party state organizations are working on the registration matter, and are making plans to see to it that their voters are all registered. Booklets containing copies of the new registration on law are being sent out to the county chairmen and instructions are being given in every possible way so that no man should be missed.

The old registration law provided for three registration periods in each year when a general election was to be held. But the legislature changed this cumbersome and expensive law. It was found that in many precincts the cost of keeping the registration boards in session on the second and third days caused the registration of each voter to cost tremendously, and there was loud complaint from over the state. So the legislature was compelled to change the law. Under the present system any voter who* was legally registered in his precinct for the election of 1914 will not be required to register again this year, unless he now lives in another precinct than the one in which he was registered in 1914. In other words, the registration books and lists are now permanent lists, and are open to changes, additions and subtractions of names whenever they are justified.

The registration board meets in each precinct on Monday, the twentyninth day before the election. On that day all persons who have moved into a different precirict, all new voters, all who have moved in from other places are required to register. In cases where county commissioners have changed, divide, consolidate or establish any election precincts in such manner as to transfer voters from one precinct to the other, the county auditor and the county chairmen of the two leading political parties, prior to registration day, meet and strike off all names of voters whose names appear in the books of the precinct in which they were registered and voted in 1914 and who have been transferred to another precinct, and they shall deliver the names to the registration board of the precincts in which the voters at that time belong. Unless their attention is called to the matter, many voters who registered and toted two years ago and who have since moved into other precincts are likely to take it for granted that there registration of two years ago still holds good and makes them legal voters. But such is not the case and it will be up to every individual voter this year to make sure that he is registered in his proper precinct. It is with this end in view that the political party organizations are. already at work on the registration proposition.