The Supreme Court Rules Against Voter Registration in Tacoma
A surprise high court ruling eliminates voter registration requirements for an upcoming special municipal bond election, sparking fears of illegal voting.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Tacoma, March 24—By a decision of the supreme court handed down today at Olympia, the validity of bonds issued by cities and towns of the state for the purchase or construction of water or light plants is affirmed. The most startling feature of the supreme court decision, which was written by Judge Stiles, is that it holds that it is not necessary for electors to register in order to vote for bonding the city. Even City Attorney Murray did not expect the court would sustain him on this point. The court concluded that since there is no state law requiring registration at elections of this character, those provisions of the city charter are inoperative and any elector may vote. 'What is to prevent illegal voting under this decision?' City Attorney Murray was asked. 'Cannot any party or parties interested in carrying or defeating the proposition swear in any number of repeaters?' It seems the court intends that no registration books will be needed for this special election.
“Cannot any party or parties interested in carrying or defeating the proposition swear in any number of repeaters?”
This 1893 battle over municipalizing utility infrastructure and the integrity of the ballot box echoes current debates in Seattle regarding local government accountability, utility ownership, and electoral access. The legal maneuvering over whether voters needed to be 'registered' to decide on massive bond measures demonstrates the high-stakes friction between city expansion and the democratic process.
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