Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1917 — STATUS OF VOTERS GIVEN [ARTICLE]

STATUS OF VOTERS GIVEN

Attorney General Issues Statement Answering Inquiries. Many inquiries have been „sub-. mitted to Ele Stansbury, attorney general of Indiana, relative to the application of the woman suffrage law, and in order to answer all these inquiries at once he gives out the following statement; \

Men who are foreign citizens but who have taken out their first papers (for naturalization can vote, but do not become American citizens until they have, completed the naturalization. Prior to March 2, 1,9-07, the marriage of an American woman to a foreigner did not lose her citizenship. Under the federal act of March 2, 1907, the marriage of a woman who was a citizen of the United States to a foreigner forfeited her citizenship. By her marriage she becomes a citizen of the country of which her husband was a citizen. An American woman who married a foreigner prior to March 2, 1907, did not lose her citizenship by her marriage nor by the act of March 2, 1907, but continues to be an American citizen although the wife of a foreigner. Under the Indiana woman’s suffrage act of February 28, 1917, it is provided “that every woman

who is a citizen of the United States of the age of 21 years and upward, etc.,’ may tote. Under tfiat provision a wolftan must be a .citizen to enable her to vote, while a foreigner who has &ade his application for papers onljf can vote. A foreign-born woman, unmarried, can become an American citizen by naturalization the same as a man. An alien female who lawfully entered the United States for a lawful purpose and afterward marries a citizen of the United States becomes a citizen of the United States by virtue of such marriage. A foreign-born woman married to a foreigner, whose husband becomes a* full-naturalized American citizen, can vote, provided she has the other qualifications. A person who is a citizen of any country that is .at war with the United States can not be naturalized as a citizen of the United States. By the act of congress of June 20, 1900, a foreigner who had taken out his first papers prior to that time must have completed his naturalization within seven years after- Juno 29, 1906, or would have to renew his application and then complete his naturalization more than two years and less than seven years after the filing of such application. A woman who was a citizen of the United States and married a foreigner prior to March 2, 1907, continues to bo a citizen, of the United States and can vote, Jni.t unless her husband has taken out his first papers for naturalization, he can not vote.