Memorandum from Turner to Probate Judges; Memorandum from Baxley to Ezell

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Chief AssisIant At.t:r;]:r1cy (icrrr:r;rl

i;ittiii,:] ;r itiio; i=iru'yler.eerron-day, serEember s, LstB, rhis or.Ficr::fiTi::,"'f; ili''rdceived' ,.r*ut6.is ealls froir p::obare Juclges, €Iecrion of ficialsi;t;fl,:j.,:'I=-j:''an'.J'vote!s. -rlo.t of these calts conc"i.,La .quesrions abortr.,,'ri,;,rl. r, ,1::lstance*aE the polls. r have d"ai;;.i ttraE, ir r.ro,,lc, be
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'.i ''useful if I sumnarized, the opiiiionr oi-ifri" office on this"'' "''""i :'"''":"r ?n'tter ancl aslced each of yotr- Lo share ttris tri-th-t;ui'el"ction',,.... i.'... .

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iii;'i::.:i.;;.: ,*,'i:li'iiijr: The-opinions of Etris <l[[.lcc h;rve staLecl Ltr;rE irn <:.Lcciur;'i: : ,:; (:, ,:, t,''.,IIIfl.)i,;rcCeive assisEance irr thc baI Lo I lrctx:
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'j,, .;ii'i,l.,,;,;i ',. :ii1,f; hlhen he. or she cannot reacJ or r,rrite;

ir,;:i::l;ri,ri;,,'I;i .i-+: 2) llh9n he, or she needs assisEance Secause of an

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!fliren ,because o.E either of the above or a combination,, :.,,:..i.'' :' -'.{':-'-
.j..1,1'';'i .:,rr'.,Fr,n.T. tfie..voter staLes thet[ ]re ol: she cloes noI rrnclerstanrJj ...,i'1,,,i;. i thelllualloE. ', , t

.-'i,.i,,: 1;ii..;,. ;, . ,:..l. rrrrL, rrtd)r.. 1--:"t.1 vuLc.:l. Ilt .()tie Of Ene a[)OVe Ca.L(:AOftCl;'/ 
,ji':j',;.:'lr' :', Anyt':pergon voluntarily chosen by a voter enL'LtIc<l to assist-arrrce'.:l ,,'.',,, ', rn,a}t;asqist that voEcr in thc hai-1ot- bc.rx- fhir i*, ii.,n even j.f.

,, ,.'i' ,'.,".,; thc,one'rendering assi.';rance lr:.ts al.r'cacly al;s;.Lst:c,rl a1<:t:1cr yotcr.

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Assistance balloEs, marked ballots or other prinLeci raaIerial
such- as nervspapers_rnay be taken or usecl by any voter irr the
booth regardless of rsheEher he or she is in-iln-e of thcr above
three, categories or not.

,The staEuEgs.-prohibiting campaigning on elecEion day
have--!een repeared. This meins thaE*cnm[aignin.,.i by pr,s.:Lng
ouE literature, eLc.- is permissLblc on eLecE:i.on"-clay iro lon[as..it'.'is clone rnore EhaE :o feeE a.rray frc,ar the licr:.t.i-n1:i rrt-:rcE
and,does noc inEerfere r,vith the orcllrly l)rocess of ,ri,ci..rg
nor intimidace or,..harass the voEcrs.

"ffrfs summaryiis niad,e :i.n an'clEfo::r. to be hr:1.1:Jlul trt t,hrelections of ficials and as usua.L r.re a're ready uo-bcr of .Lny
assistance :in answering any oEher quesLions you might h;.vL.

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Plge Truo

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APRIL, MAY, JUNE, t9?2-1/e!. 147

April 4, lg?2

Butler, Alabama 36g04 
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Voten _ Asststance to Illlteratc Voters.
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Illltoratc votel.! crn havc thc arrlrtanca o! tny pirron, thev choosc tn-.eas*ng tncrr Lariois'lia , iriere Indivr.dual can legally assilt more than one llliterate voter. durlng the same election if chosen uv _ri"'ifran onesuch voter.

t, Opinlon by Assistant Attorney General yung.
Dear Juclge Ezell:

Reterence ls made- to your tetter of March gl, lg?2, rvheretn yourequest an oplnion of thls ollice rvhich is as Jollows:
"rn the past, several questions have arisen concerning assistanceto illiterate voters- during eleetions. Mr. Herbert Nuiion, a per-son whom r conslder Bn expert on election h;r;,;;r; that apers.n, por official or othenvise, may assrst more than onc,riterate votcr durrng an crection so tonr ag s.ra'puiro, ts vor.untarily chocen, Another rourcc tncttcaies-,:h"; I';;ron eanonly asslst one ,literate voter during on ut..iiorr, 

-r-ersonatty,
it does not matter to me whieh methocl is used, holever, wedo rvant to eliminate any eonfusion and concluct uniform, fair.and honest elections,

"Accordingly, rve rvould certainly appreciate your of ficialopinion on the folrowing questions: whether or not a voterin Alabama, who is ilriterite or cannot reacl or rvrite or for somereason does not understand the ballot, can have assistance insiclethe voting booth from any person thai ttre ,ot"" ,no''rotuntaritv
choose, even though such person chosen by the uot"" ,niv'ilour":. previously assistecr other such voters cruring the same election,i'e" if a person assists one such voter, is he barred -from herpingother such voters?- Does the person rcnclering such servicehave to be a poll official?,,

Honorable E. Mark Ezell
Judge of Frobete

Choctnrv Oounty
Court House

questlon is in the allirmative ancl the
is in the negative.

The pertinent code-provision of generar elections is Titre 1?, Section176, code of Alabama 1940, Recompii"a isss, rvhich provicles that illit-erate voters may have the assistance of ,,any person he may select,, incasting his ballot.

The pertinent cocle provision for primary erections is Tire l?,Section 359, ancl althotlgh thts sectlon provides that il[terate

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The answer to your flrst
ansrver to your second question



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Honotable Bernard A' ReYno'lcls

Judge of Pronare
" --"Pattas Countv Coutthouse

Selma' A'labama 36?or

Filing Tax - J'uclges of Probatd - Taxation - Unilorm

Commercial Cocle'

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:'' :.*''-"'t Attorneys General Davis arxl Loeb'

OPinion bY Assistant Attorr

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