Governor of Illinois Charged with Preventing Jews from Voting

The Chicago Jewish Sentinel, an English-Jewish weekly, charged in its current issue that Governor William G. Stratten of illinois, a Republican, twice vetoed proposed amendments to the State election law that would have extended the right of the absentee ballot in cases where religious holidays and election days conflict, to keep Jews from participating in the primaries today, the first day of the Passover.

It is estimated that about 125, 000 observant Jews in Chicago alone will be unable to vote today unless they disregard their religious beliefs. Under existing legislation, the absentee ballot privilege cannot be exercised by those unable to cast ballots because of religious requirements. A bill to give this right, the paper reported, “was vetoed both times by Gov. Stratton, apparently in the belief that most Jews vote the Democratic ticket. “

The paper said in an editorial that “obviously, no other group would be affected. ” It pointed out that “as things now stand, observant Jews, unwilling to sign their names as they enter the polling booth Tuesday, will be unable to vote. There is nothing that they or anyone else can do about it. “

The present law permits absentee voting only for those who are physically ill or absent from the county of their residence. Efforts by a religious committee to secure agreement of the Chicago Board of Elections to permit election officials to do the writing for observant Jewish voters as they may do for the physically disabled, failed because the board held that procedure to be illegal. The Chicago council of the American Jewish Congress is seeking support of an amendment to the election laws that would permit absentee voting for religious reasons.