Alabama Constitution Section 181 Same After January 1 1903
Alabama Constitution – Section 181: Same After January 1, 1903
This section outlines the voter qualification requirements in Alabama effective after January 1, 1903, replacing those in Section 180 (which applied before December 20, 1902).
Summary of Section 181 (Post-January 1, 1903):
Section 181 establishes the eligibility criteria for voter registration in Alabama starting January 1, 1903. Key points include:
Citizenship & Residency Requirements:
Must be a male citizen of the United States.
Must have resided in Alabama for at least two years, and in the county for at least one year, and in the precinct or ward for at least three months prior to the election.
Age Requirement:
Must be at least 21 years old.
Character & Understanding:
Must be of good character.
Must understand the duties and obligations of citizenship under a republican form of government.
Additional Requirements:
Must be able to read and write any article of the U.S. Constitution in English or own property assessed at $300 or more and be able to legally describe it.
Exemptions (Grandfather Clause):
Persons who served in any war or were descendants of such persons could vote regardless of literacy or property qualifications.
This section was part of Alabama's broader effort to restrict voting rights, especially targeting African American voters, through literacy tests, property requirements, and subjective "good character" clauses. Though it doesn't mention race explicitly, it was part of the Jim Crow era legal framework.
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