House passes soldier vote to Roosevelt
Measure adopted, 273–111
Washington (UP) –
The House today approved the compromise soldier vote bill and put it up to President Roosevelt for signature or veto.
The House adopted the long-disputed measure by a vote announced as 273–111.
Administration sources said Mr. Roosevelt was still undecided and that there was no unanimity among his advisers as to what he would do. He has indicated his primary consideration will be whether the bill would permit more soldiers to vote than could do so under present law.
Worley urged acceptance
The House vote, which ended months of wrangling among its members and between the two houses of Congress, came after only two hours of debate, contrasted with the two days of argument that preceded the Senate’s vote of 47–31 yesterday.
Chairman Eugene Worley (D-TX), of the House Elections Committee, urged acceptance of the conference version of the bill. He had led the fight in the House by New Deal supporters for a federal ballot for all servicemen and women. But the final bill, adopted by an overwhelming coalition of Republicans and Southern Democrats, put many limitations on the use of such a ballot and apparently would prevent any voting by service personnel from Kentucky and New Mexico.
Federal ballots can be used only by persons overseas, only if states agree to accept them and count them, and only if the voter is unable to get a state ballot. These provisions satisfied Rep. John Rankin (D-MS), leader of the states’ rights bloc which so violently opposed the original federal ballot proposal.
‘Best we could get’
In debate on the bill, Mr. Worley told the House he felt the conferees “could have done better,” but said the agreement was reached “in the true democratic spirit and in the spirit of compromise.”
He added:
I am firmly convinced that this is the best compromise we could get out of Congress.
Rep. Karl M. LeCompte (R-IA), ranking Republican on the committee and member of the Senate-House conference that drew up the final bill, likewise contended that “vastly more” soldiers would be able to vote under the bill than under the existing statute.
Sabath charge protested
Two Republicans vigorously protested a statement by Rep. Adolph J. Sabath (D-IL), first to speak in opposition, that “the Republicans want this bill because they feel more men will be deprived of the right to vote than under the present law.”
Mr. Sabath said:
The Republicans are afraid most of the soldiers will vote for President Roosevelt.
The two Republicans – Reps. Ben F. Jensen of Iowa and Homer A. Ramey of Ohio – withdrew their protests as Mr. Sabath’s time expired and he returned to the Democratic side of the aisle amid boos from Republicans.
Senate vote is 47–31
The Senate passed the bill by a 47–31 vote yesterday.
Some observers believed they had a clue to the President’s decision in the fact that Senate Democratic Leader Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky, after conferring with Mr. Roosevelt Monday, opposed the bill yesterday.
Two other factors will enter into Mr. Roosevelt’s consideration of the bill: A Republican warning that a veto would make him subject to charges of having made it impossible for soldiers to vote, plus the fact that Kentucky and New Mexico servicemen away from their home states may be disenfranchised if he signs the measure.
State approval needed
The Kentucky and New Mexico Supreme Courts have held that state soldier vote laws are unconstitutional because their constitutions require that voting be done in person. However, soldiers of those states got the right to cast absentee ballots under the 1942 Soldier Voting Act which, as a federal statute, superseded state laws.
The new bill provides that federal ballots can be used only with the approval of state governors and legislatures – but New Mexico and Kentucky probably cannot grant such approval because of their constitutions.
The bill provides that the federal ballot be made available to overseas servicemen whose state legislatures and governors have certified by July 15 that they will accept them. The serviceman using it would be required to certify that he had applied for a state absentee ballot by Sept. 1, but had not received it by Oct. 1. Those in this country would have to use state absentee ballot forms.
War Ballot Commission
Thus far, only California, Minnesota and North Carolina have agreed to accept federal ballots. Some administration sources feel most states will follow the cue of Governor Thomas E. Dewey, who says New York will not accept them.
The bill calls for a War Ballot Commission, composed of the Secretaries of War and Navy and the
The present waiver of poll tax and registration as prerequisites to voting, as provided in the 1942 law, would be retained for those voting from overseas. Those within the country, however, would have to meet state regulations.
States still requiring poll taxes are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.