OFFICEOFTHEATTORNEYGENERAL
AUSTIN
January 16th,
Hon. Bazel 9. Beckham,Exeoutlve Secrety$?---.....-..-
-._~
..-,
--_-
State Commission for the Blind
State Office BuJJdlng
Austin, Texas
Dear E.kckm:
296Sa aa the
Your request i
or Rot it is n~oessar
an exelmptfonoertlfi
primaries end in the
less than 10,000 en reoeived by
this offioe.
.-.
the Revised Uivll Statutes of 1923, ?zho
does nut reside In a oity of 10 000 inhabi-
tants or more, and who is exempi from the
payment OS a poll tax bJTreason of the faot
that he or aha has not get reaohsd the age
of 21 years aa the flxst day of Jaauarp pm-
oeding it.8levy ~orwho 29 eXem@ fram the
payment of a poh tax baeauss he or she wan
not a resident of the state on the first d8Y
Hon. Hazel II,&ckhhan, January 16th, 1939 82
of January preoeding its levy, but who
s!lallhave since become eligible to vote
by reason of length of residence or age,
s:inll,on or boiore the ;Ilstday of Janu-
ary of the yesr I5 which he or she oifere
to vote, obtain from tileUsessor or Col-
lector OS taxes Sor the county of his or
her rtisidenca,a oertifioateof exemption
.xponthe payment OS a poll tax, and no suoh
person V&C 1~s fniled to refuse to obtain
a certiSic&e oS exemption fromthe payment
of a poll C-axshall be allowed to vote."
The oaption to Article 2968a as enaoted w
the 44th Legislatureof the State OS Texas, Regular
Session, reads in part as Sollows:
* * * * * *providing ror the issu-
anoe of a certificbateOS examptionwith-
out oost to certain qualified voters not
subject to the payment of a'p0l.ltax* * *.
It.is'our opinion that toters who are other-
wise qualified,but who are blind end reside in a oity
of 10,000 inhabitantsor less, are entitled to vote
:. without an exemptionoertifioate. It ia our opitliott
that Artiole 2968a only requires an exemptLo@ oerbui-
oate for persona rrhoare exempt fromthe paymant Of a
poll tax by reason of the iaot that he or she hae no*
? reaohed the age OS 81 yeare on the first day OS Yam-
ary prodsding its levy or who ia exempt Srom the w-
me&, of a poll tax beoauee he or she was not a reaLdent
ai the atate on the first day OS January preooding its
l&y. .The oaption of this bill states that 20s purme
la to provide for an exemption oertifioatefor oertain
persone and the body OS the bLl.1itself cm4 stater
that the twa olasses above nsmed s&Ulhave an exemp-
tian oertlfloate,an8 it ia our opihion that it 'irtil)
the
$ntention of the Legislatureto only requfre an ezemp-
tion csrtifiaatefor the two olaases named and not for
blind persons.
Yours very truly
RHCtob
-L:
AYTORNES GZNERAL OF TEU2
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion