NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1965 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 770

SENATE BILL 411

 

 

AN ACT TO FURTHER PROTECT THE VOTERS OF ROANOKE RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, IN HALIFAX COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, AND THE SEVERAL GOVERNMENTAL SUBDIVISIONS THEREOF, BY PROVIDING A PERIOD OF TIME IN ADDITION TO THAT NOW ALLOWED BY LAW IN WHICH TO REGISTER FOR PARTICIPATION IN VARIOUS ELECTIONS HELD IN THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENTAL SUBDIVISIONS OF SAID TOWNSHIP.

 

WHEREAS, in Roanoke Rapids Township, there are four sets of registration books on which voters are required to register in order to participate in all elections in said township, which said voting units consist of voters residing in the City of Roanoke Rapids, the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District, and State, County and National elections; and

WHEREAS, because of the large number of said voting districts, a great deal of confusion has resulted in the minds of the voters in reference to their being properly registered on all of said books, and quite often voters have been denied the right to vote because of some misunderstanding as to whether or not they were properly registered; and

WHEREAS, it is the intention of this Act to further protect the rights of the voters residing in Roanoke Rapids Township and the various voting units thereof by providing, in addition to the regular registration periods now provided by law, a special registration of all voters entitled to vote in said elections: Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. A special registration period is hereby ordered to be held in Roanoke Rapids Township for the purpose of enabling voters entitled to participate in elections held within the City of Roanoke Rapids, the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District, and in State, County and National elections; and to that end, the Chairman of the Board of Elections of Halifax County, the Mayor of the City of Roanoke Rapids, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, and the Chairman of the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District Board are hereby appointed and shall constitute a special registration board to carry out the intent and purposes of this Act. On or before the fifteenth of June, 1965, the board herein appointed shall meet in the municipal courtroom in the Municipal Building in the City of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and organize by electing from their number a chairman and a secretary. Three members of the board shall constitute a quorum, and the first meeting shall be called by the Mayor of the City of Roanoke Rapids or shall be called by any member of the board by giving the other member seven days' notice by mail.

Sec. 2. The special registration period provided hereunder shall commence on the fifteenth day of July, 1965, and shall end on the fifteenth day of September, 1965, and shall be governed, as near as practicable, by such general and special laws as now pertain to the registration of voters within the voting units hereinabove specified.

Sec. 3. The registration board herein provided for shall cause to be placed in the hands of a registrar or registrars to be appointed by them, for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Act, all existing registration books now used for the purpose of holding elections within the voting units hereinabove set out. Said registration books shall be kept open from 9:00 o'clock A. M. to 12:00 o'clock Noon and from 2:00 o'clock P. M. to 6:00 o'clock P. M. on each day of said registration, Sundays excluded. The place of registration shall be the Municipal Building of the City of Roanoke Rapids. Compensation to the registrars for their services shall be paid by the various governmental units participating in this registration at the rate now provided by law, except that said registrars shall be paid such per diem compensation as said registration board may determine as being reasonable, and shall be paid in the proportion of one-fourth each by the City of Roanoke Rapids, the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District, and the County of Halifax. The amounts to be paid per name for registering voters shall be the same as that now allowed by law and shall be charged against and paid by the governmental unit on which books the names of the voters have been registered.

Sec. 4. The names of all voters now appearing on said registration books shall remain thereon as heretofore, it being the express purpose of this Act to expressly grant to the voters in Roanoke Rapids Township, Halifax County, North Carolina, an additional period of time in which to register upon the books whereon their names do not now appear, and not to require the new registration of any voter now duly registered upon the registration books on any or all of said governmental units.

Sec. 5. Twenty days' notice of the opening of the registration books as provided in this Act shall be given by the board by publishing the following notice once a week for three weeks in a newspaper published in Halifax County and having general circulation therein:

"Attention all Voters of Roanoke Rapids Township.

"For the purpose of enabling all persons qualified to vote in either or all of the elections held in Roanoke Rapids Township, who are not now registered, or if registered in the wrong precinct or ward, to change their voting precinct or ward to the one in which they are now living.

"A special registration period, in addition to all registration periods now allowed by law, was granted by the 1965 General Assembly which gives you the right, if you are entitled thereto, to register for voting on any or all of the primary and election registration books of the following: (1) The City of Roanoke Rapids; (2) The Roanoke Rapids Graded School District; (3) The Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District; and (4) The Roanoke Rapids Precinct Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 located in Roanoke Rapids Township, Halifax County, North Carolina.

"All registration books of the four election districts, wards or precincts will be in the hands of the registrar(s) at the Municipal Building in the City of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, from the fifteenth of July, 1965, to and including the fifteenth of September, 1965. The registrar(s) will be present each day, Sundays excluded, between the hours of 9:00 o'clock A. M. until 12:00 o'clock Noon and from 2:00 o'clock P. M. to 6:00 o'clock P. M. during this special registration period.

"This is your chance to register for voting at the same time on all of the registration books which you are entitled to register upon.

"If you know that you are registered, then you need not check up on your registration.

"If you know you are not registered, this is your opportunity to register for future voting.

"If you are in doubt about your registration on all books upon which you are entitled to register, then go to the municipal building and check with the registrar. He will be glad to help you register, if you are not registered, so that you may go to the polls the next time an election is held and vote your honest convictions."

Sec. 6. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 7. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 2nd day of June, 1965.