Texas Almanac, 1952-1953 Page: 366
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366 TEXAS ALMANAC.-1952-1953.
Article V.-(Continued.); Article VI.
provided by the Legislature, or by the Com-
missioners' Court of the county under author-
ity of law, and such other terms each year as
may be fixed by the Commissioners' Court;
provided, the Commissioners' Court of any
county having fixed the times and number of
terms of the County Court shall not change
the same again until the expiration of one
year. Said court shall dispose of probate busi-
ness either in term time or vacation, under
such regulations as may be prescribed by
law. Prosecutions may be commenced in said
courts in such manner as is or may be pro-
vided by law, and a jury therein shall consist
of six men. Until otherwise provided, the
terms of the County Court shall be held on
the first Mondays in February, May, August
and November, and may remain in session
three weeks.
[Note.-Sec. 29 of Art. V. an amendment, was
added for stated purpose of prescribing county
court terms. Submitted by Eighteenth Legislature
(1883), ratified in an election Aug. 14, 1883, and
proclaimed adopted Sept. 25, 1883.]
ARTICLE VI.-SUFFRAGE.
Sec. 1. Persons Who Cannot Vote.-The
following classes of persons shall not be al-
lowed to vote in this State, to wit:
First: Persons under twenty-one (21) years
of age.
Second: Idiots and lunatics.
Third: All paupers supported by any
county.
Fourth: All persons convicted of any fel-
ony, subject to such exceptions as the Legis-
lature may make.
Fifth: All soldiers, marines and seamen,
employed in the service of the Army and
Navy of the United States. Provided that this
restriction shall not apply to officers of the
National Guard of Texas, the National Guard
Reserve, the Officers Reserve Corps of the
United States, nor to enlisted men of the Na-
tional Guard, the National Guard Reserve,
and the Organized Reserves of the United
States, nor to retired officers of the United
States Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and
retired warrant officers and retired enlisted
men of the United States Army, Navy, and
Marine Corps.
[Note.-The foregoing Sec. 1 of Art. VI has
been once amended from the original to give privi-
lege of ballot to officers and enlisted men of
National Guard, National Guard Reserves, Officers
Reserve Corps, Organized Reserves and retired
officers and enlisted men of Army, Navy and
Marine Corps. Submitted by Forty-second Legis-
lature (1931) and adopted in an election Nov. 8,
1932. Proclaimed Jan. 9, 1933. (See also Sec. 2-a
and note thereon.) ]
Sec. 2. Poll Tax Payment Required of
Voters.-Every person subject to none of the
foregoing disqualifications, who shall have
attained the age of 21 years and who shall be
a citizen of the United States and who shall
have resided in this State one year next pre-
ceding an election and the last six months
within the district or county in which such
person offers to vote, shall be deemed a
qualified elector; provided, that electors liv-
ing in any unorganized county may vote at
any election precinct in the county to which
such county Is attached for judicial purposes;
and provided, further, that any voter who is
subject to pay a poll tax under the laws of
the State of Texas shall have paid said tax
before offering to vote at any election in this
State and hold a receipt showing that said
poll tax was paid before the first day of
February next preceding such election. Or if
said voter shall have lost or misplaced said
tax receipt, he or she, as the case may be,
shall be entitled to vote upon making affi-
davit before any officer authorized to ad-minister oaths that such tax receipt has been
lost. Such affidavit shall be made in writing
and left, with the judge of the election. The
husband may pay the poll tax of his wife and
receive the receipt therefor. In like manner
the wife may pay the poll tax of her hus-
band and receive the receipt therefor. The
Legislature may authorize absentee voting.
And this provision of the Constitution shall
be self-enacting without the necessity of fur-
ther legislation.
[Note.-The foregoing Sec. 2 of Art. VI has
been amended four times, as follows: (1) To in-
clude provision that declaration of foreigner must
be filed at least six months before election to en-
able him to vote in such election. Submitted by
Twenty-fourth Legislature (1895), ratified in an
election Nov. 3, 1896, and declared adopted Dec
18, 1896. (2) To make poll tax receipt certificate
of registration for voting. Submitted by Twenty-
seventh Legislature (1901), ratified in an election
Nov. 4, 1902, and declared adopted Dec. 26, 1902
(3) To provide for woman suffrage. Submitted b.
Thirty-sixth Legislature (1919) and ratified by
election of May 24, 1919. (4) To limit suffrage to
citizens; -allowing husband or wife to pay poll tax
for other; authorizing absentee voting. Submitted
by Thirty-seventh Legislature (1921) and ratified
at election July 23, 1921.1
Sec. 2-a. Poll Tax Exemption for War Vet-
erans; Exceptions.-Nothing in this Con-
stitution shall be construed to require any
person, who at the time of the holding of an
election hereinafter referred to is, or who.
within eighteen months immediately prior to
the .time of holding any such election was.
a member of the armed forces of the United
States or of the Armed Forces Reserve of the
United States, or of any branch or component
part of such armed forces or Armed Force Re-
serve, or the United States Maritime Service
or the United States Merchant Marine, and
who is otherwise a qualified voter under the
laws and Constitution of this State, to pay a
poll tax or to hold a receipt for any poll ta-
assessed against him, as a condition precedent
to his right to vtvote in any election held
under the authority of the laws of this State.
during the time the United States is engaged
in fighting a war, or within one year afte
the close of the calendar year in which said
war is terminated.
Provided, however, that the foregoing pro-
visions of this section do not confer the right
to vote upon any person who is a member of
the regular establishment of the United
States Army, Navy, or Marine Corps; and
provided further, that all persons in the
armed forces of the United States, or the
component branches thereof, not members
of the regular establishment of the United
States Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, are
hereby declared not to be disqualified from
voting by reason of any provision of sub-
section "Fifth" of Section 1, of this Article
[Note.-The foregoing Sec. 2-a of Art. VI, an
amendment, was added to give World War 11
veterans exemption from payment of the poll ta\,
and to further define last paragraph of Sec. 1
Submitted by the Forty-ninth Legislature and
adopted in an election Aug. 25, 1945.1
Sec. 3. Electors in Towns and Cities; Only
Property Taxpayers to Vote in Certain In-
stances.-All qualified electors of the State,
as herein described, who shall have resided
for six months Immediately preceding an
election within the limits of any city or cor-
porate town, shall have the right to vote for
Mayor and all other elective officers; but in
all elections to determine expenditure of
money or assumption of debt, only those shall
be qualified to vote who pay taxes on prop-
erty in said city or incorporated town; pro-
vided, that no poll tax for the payment of
debts thus incurred shall be levied upon the
persons debarred from voting in relation
thereto.
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Texas Almanac, 1952-1953, book, 1951; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117137/m1/368/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.