*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS

AUSTIN

Honorable Fat Beadle

County Attorney

Red River County

Clarlu~llle, Tom6

Dear Sir;

nobe in rea of this date roading aa fOllOU8:

atlels 2, Conetltution of Toxa6, me&e I6 part / a6 2U.L~~~' penon subject to 110114 0rth4 --w&y zo*-

ping dlsqualif%oations, who ahallhave atta%md the age of twenty-one yoar6 an6 who #ball be a aitiser~ of the Zlntied State@ and who shall haw re6iQsd in th58 State on8 year mxt preaedlng ma and t.ti ilast six rentho 4thia tIm ai& election triat or oounty in whioh emh p6non offer6 kr mte, &ml1 be &mned a quill?i~B olootori pro- rld44, ti+atelrwtor8llringin anywkergeeimd oowaty may rot4 at my elmt%cbn preainat La tha owaaty to uhloh 6mh oouaty is attadwd iar Jo- aad pr~vldadfixrther, that any di4i4lpurpo444; *2 Honorable Pat Readlo, Maroh El, 1989, Fmgo 8

voter who is subjoot to pay a poll tax undarthr laws of the Stats of Texam shall ham paid 8ald tax before ortering to rot4 at any elnotlon in this State arai hold a rsoeipt shmlng that said poll tax was paid bsfoiw the first day of Fsbiu- ary next prsoeding sudb slsotion.*

Artiols VI, Seotion 3, Uonstitution of Texas, reads as follorrs: I

"All qualifisd elnotorr of ths Stats, a6 herein dosaribed, who shall ham rssidad iOr sir mgntbs immdiatslly Imoedlng an elaotion, within the liuits of any oity or aorporato tom, sfallha~s ths i-i&t to vuts fur Mayorand all other alsotire of'floan~ but ln.all l leotiom to dstsmine oxpendituro CC mon6y or-a8mmptioon of debt, only those 6hsll bo qualiflod to rote who pay tax00 on property in raid city or inoor- poratsd tom; prorldsd, that no poll tax for'tho paymsnt or dobto thus lnourred, skull k lorid uponthe per8onadebarredrroamtin8 in t-ala- t-ion tiBretO.a

Artlole 1030, Raised Sir11 Statutes, reada as ibllew8r

*Ths City Counoll shall hao powor to logy and oolleot m annual poll tax, sot to 4x0046

One ($1.00) Dollar of 4v4ry inlrbltant of said oity over the ago of twenty-one (21) and under sixty (80) ysars, those pereons exsapt by law fmm paying tbs Stats Poll Tax oxoepted, do is a resldaut thsrsof at the time of suahahnual aslleeslnsat." 2933, Civil Statutes, pro*ldss, in part:

Artidlo "Rmry person eubjeot to nom of the fors- going disqualifloatlons who shall ka*s attained the age oftweuty-one years aud who &all be a oitieen otthe United States, au! who shall hao nsidod in this State on4 year next preoedbg an sleotlon, and the last six months within tlm dlc triot or omnty in whioh hs or ohs off;rs~~~;s~ta, shall be deemed a qualified elsotsr.

tars living In an unorganlr.ed oounty may Vets at an 4l4otloa prooinot In tha county to whloh web OoUnty i6 attachad for jUdioial pllrp4440~ pmVfd- ad that any votsrwho is u+bjeot to pay a poll tax uudar the laws of this Stats or ordinamos st auf *3 Honorable Pat Beadlo, Mmoh 27, 19S9, page S

oity of tmm In thie State, ehallhave paid mid tax b4fore off4rihg to rote at any oleotion la this stats and hold8 a reoeipt rbosriug that raid poll tax was mid before the flrst+d~pof: Febru- ary next preoeding such sloation;

As Utiole 10% existed at the tilpb of Atlantey Oemral cureton*s opinion No. 2172 on January lb, 1920, and at the tl8e or Attormy General PolZard*e opinion 100. Z676, on Maroh 29, 1927, the earn authorized tbs OiQ Counoll to l4vy aul oalloot ax aanuel pall tax not exooeding $1.00 of otrry mb lnhahitant ot eald eitiy. In the Curetan opinion it was h4ld that woman could not Wte without paying any poll tax eo lsviod. In ths Pollard opinion it wae held that einoe the poll tax wae not lovied on *~)men, it? attempted lavy on men wae dieoriminatcny , and that o?m a aan oould rote without having paid the earn. The oonfliot botwoen the two opiaicme ^[18] aot any 14nger nmterifil, ror in 1931 tlm etatut wae amehd4d 14avi4g out the word 4aa14mr so that,ae altoady aaCed, Artiole lOS0 nor author- leoe o41l4otion frm both orals and Irmalo inMbitmte, thue r4mm- ixg tb4 reason &Jrttn by Attornay G4aeral Rollard fat holding that failur4 to pay such a poll taxwould'mt dopriro.a &an Or the right to r@e in a oity 41eotlonr