Alabama Voter Registration, Amendment 1 (1962)

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The Alabama Voter Registration, Amendment 1, also known as Amendment 1, was on the ballot in Alabama on May 1, 1962, as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. It was defeated. The amendment proposed to amend the constitution. The amendment proposed the following: "Shall Article VIII, Section 181 of the Constitution be amended to read as follows:
Section 181. The following persons and no others who, if they are citizens of the United States over the age of twenty-one years and have the qualifications as to residence prescribed in Section 178 of this article, shall be qualified to register as electors provided they shall not be disqualified under Section 182 of this constitution; those who can read and write any article of the constitution of the United States in the English language which may be submitted to them by the board of registrars, provided, however, no persons shall be entitled to register as electors except those who are of good character and who embrace the duties and obligations of citizenship under the constitution of the United States and under the Constitution of the State of Alabama, and provided further, that in order to aid the members of the boards of registrars, who are hereby constituted and declared to be judicial officers, to judicially determine if applicants to register have the qualifications hereinabove set out, each applicant shall be furnished by the board of registrars a written application form and a sealed examination, which shall be uniform in all cases with no discrimination as between applicants. The form and contents of such application form and sealed examination shall be prescribed by a state board of examiners for voter registration to be appointed by the Legislative Council of Alabama, which application shall be so worded that the answers thereto will place before the board of registrars information necessary or proper to aid them to pass upon the qualifications of each applicant, and which examination shall be graded by the state board of examiners for voter registration which must certify to the several boards of registrars of the state whether or not each applicant, who shall be designated by number only, has passed or has not passed the examination. The examination shall be provided and shall be administered as provided for by the legislature. The application shall be answered in writing by the applicant in the presence of the board without assistance, and there shall be incorporated in such answer an oath to support and defend the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of Alabama and a statement in such oath by the applicant disavowing belief in or affiliation at any time with any group or party which advocated the overthrow of the government of the United States or the State of Alabama by unlawful means, which answers and oath shall be duly signed and sworn to by the applicant before a member of the county board of registrars. Such application and written answers of the applicant thereto shall be f ed with the records of the respective boards of registrars and such examination shall be filed with the records of the state board of examiners.

The board may receive information respecting the applicant and the truthfulness of any information furnished by him. Provided further that if solely because of physical handicaps the applicant is unable to read or write, then he, shall be exempt from the above stated requirements which he is unable to meet because of such physical handicap, and in such cases a member of the board of registrars shall read to the applicant the questionnaire and oaths herein provided for and the applicant's answers thereto shall be written down by such board member and the applicant shall be registered as a voter if he meets all other requirements herein set out." (Under, th [sic] provisions of Act No. 21, Special Session, 1961.)"

Election results

Alabama Amendment 1 (May 1962)
Result		Votes	Percentage
d No		163,847	63.48%
Yes		94,281	36.52%

Election results via: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1963

See also

Suggest a link

• Alabama 1962 ballot measures
• 1962 ballot measures
• List of Alabama ballot measures
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Alabama

External links

• Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1963