The Pittsburgh Press (September 5, 1944)
Communists join registration spat
Communists today joined the Republican-Democratic dispute over the field registration schedules set up by the County Elections Department and the Pittsburgh Registration Commission.
Democrats had accused the Republican Registration Commission of juggling the enrollment sites to Republican advantage. Republicans filed similar charges against the Democratic Elections Department.
Maximum registration
Both allegations, said Max Weiss, president of the Communist Political Association for Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, are beside the point which concerns the “greatest possible registration.”
He said:
If there are any who object to such a maximum registration and maximum vote, on the ground that it surely will result in the reelection of President Roosevelt, then they admit that President Roosevelt is already the people’s choice.
Offices for every district
Mr. Weiss said Anthony J. Federoff, CIO regional director and a leader of the CIO Political Action Committee, had given a “direct and forceful lead to the development of a nonpartisan approach to voter registration” when he said recently that “the people will vote liberal if they only get out and vote.”
Mr. Weiss advocated opening registration offices “in every single one of the election districts in Allegheny County [there are 1,020 districts].”