Case Information
*1 GENERAL OF TEXAS OFFICE OF THE AmORNEY AUSTIN Hon. Rotas 2. Burke, Sr. County Attorney +,-.. ,. ,.. _,_- . ,-. Golind CountJr
Dear Slrr
Your request f
01) written by ur attention to thr (I opinion rhloh tides, in a aity 0 not r&e itaB or more amI who entg-onr years aubeo- 1998 and prior to the is not required to Ion oertifioate to be QUali- n euoh eleotion.' n an elsotion contest ln this oounty, the Dlstriot Judge, Pk. a, I3. Pool rulsb that any one who has reaohed the age oi twenty- one must hare an exemptIon orrtifloate to vote in any eleotlon even though ho beoame of a&e subaequcmt to January 31. If 1s my *2 Eon. Ross E. Burke, sr., Pam 2
un3.eretant¶Ingthat the utile zuling htie been given by other DietrIot Court&
Tkm In order to give the peram who ~111 be Wenty-one after Jsnue 31, 1940 would rrgpw- a ohanoe to aast a leg81 vote, 7
oiate your opinion In the mtter amI I will the Tax Colleotor aooordl~ly. advlse
whe popul4tlon of oallad county at the laot Pedeml Comma wao 10,095, and hava no city of more than S,O"O.w
Aa w0 uaderstsnd yam Inquiry, you desire to know whether or not pereone who wI3.l be twenty-one years old after January 31, 1940 am required to have an amp- onrtifloats to be Atha to vote in an eleotion during the year 1940.
We quote from the aaee of Clark VFJ. Stuhba, X31 317 2nd 663, a8 r0imm *Appellee ohellsnged vote8 of Iloll
Rose ForrIeey, Jeff Eyer, Ullle Gibson rpilbur "e~I~:,,~~,~frb~~h~~~:~ &km Bmxl Baxlel,
burn, baoause eaoh o'r thom'beeam 21 pars of aga after Sanuary, 1858, and prior to Nommber 8, 193& end under the #~ernl~ etetute, thare- fore, they were not entitled to vote without an exmption oertlfiaete. Art. 2968a, Vernon*n Ann. xva Et., hots of 1935, 44th L82. p. 686, Chap. 292; Sea. 1, provide8 thr:t each of the votora In queetion was mquirod to ohtn?n an exe-p- tion oartZtioata bsforc he or ehe would be en- tit1W! to vota. ?feIther cf thet, obtained euoh 0 osrtlfleate. The ett:tute Is mm?atory and these voters wore not qualliied to Vote at the election, ana the trial oourt oorreotly erolucml sll of suoh votea. Appellant oontenda, hoommr, thr.t oinae tha aaptfcn to Art. 29iWe QM not epeniflcally BeflneH,he voter8 to whom the exarspt!Ion clause relt?t&d or re-0icrred, thrit 5.t ws~i~ unconstf- tutlonal. Tiia ff3 en oleotlon content. Tt ie *3 Ron.
not a ololl suit, uti the constltutlonollty ot thra statute osnnot be attaaised In this sort of proaeetllng. 'i'hls oowt hold In Trirmler V. Corl.ton, 2664 6. ;:. 253, 2?m, thnt ~jurisdiotlon In election oonteata la limit- ad to much mttern as tend to shcw that the ~~leatian Wgwu~ not properly orderud or Pair- ly conducted, euoh aa the faf1u.m to &ve notloo of the tllas and plaoe wham the eleo- tion In to ba he18 or tbrtt illegal votes were onet fheraaf,, or saw other mntta that would Impeaah the fairness of re- arr1t.** 3Qssel 0. &anklin (Tex. cfv. ~pp.1, 183 6. K. 103) &Glll v. &wIs (33x. CD?.
App.), 283 S. v;. 328."'
On Eay 26, lRS0, In ooaferenae opinion Xo. 2980, tbls department held:
'All persons rho reside either In a elty of ten thousand Inhabitants or nors or who 60 not reside in a olty oi ten thou- ssnd Inhobltants or mre who baocmm 21 yqara .
of age alter January Slst and be0ors any eleotion In this St:?te is imitiea to vote In aair! eleotion p-ovied esid person corn-. plies x~ith Artials 2068 and .?069 with refer-.
enoc tc the obtaining of an sxezzptlon oerti- tlaote.
*A parson may mtlolpnte his birthday in order to obtain en oxam?ptIon ocrttfluate to vote in any eleotlon In this ktate.
w~~rt:olo 29tlQ la not rapeelcld by tip1 aatlon by Art:ole 29435(a). I
*A pcr:;on who aesidea In a city of two thcumnd inhabitants we who baccizae 21 yenre or wgs in April 1933 may vote in the &iLy prI- axtry lnS0 even thou& S&J hem not obtsinad an erm~tian certlrlowte prior to February 1, 1936."
t'ir, believe that oonfaren~e opinion TO. 2%IsD, supra, oorrsotly oonatrues the law relrrtlnq: to the qua%- tlon subuittsd in ynur Znquirg rind relctad qwntlnns, and
_- 4x2 ior ycmr convenlenoe m enolose a oopy of this opinion.
In pien of the Soregoin@ authorities, you are respeotfullp advised that it 1s the opinion of this department that 811 pemonr who do not reride in a oity of ten thounend inhabitants or more and who be~ce~ twenty- one ymara of age titer Jenuary 31, 1980, my vote in anp elaotion held In thle State provided they oc~ply with the term of krtslole 2968a, with reTerenos to obtcrlning oxamp- oertifi0ote on or beforo the 3lst day 0r January ln thhe year in whloh he deairos to ooto, ngardleao of the time when suoh lndivlduelmay beuome twenty-one yearn of a@, the only requlsilie beln~that said pernon mut bs twenty-one at the tlm he lxeeents hlmmlf at the pm to vote, and not otharwlse dirqualltled 80 vote under the Constitution and law of thla St&e.
Trusting that the fore~oi~ answera your inquiry, wo mlrin
Very truly your8 QTW??iEY GEIWGZ. Of 'FEXAS