Republicans, Democrats Inform Supporters How to Register, Vote With Absentee Ballots

Citizens of twelve states are out of luck as far as casting a ballot for their presidential candidate is concerned, unless they go home or can prove themselves self-supported by scholarships or by trust funds, the chairmen of the two College political organizations admitted last night.

Republicans and Democrats are competing bitterly in an effort to get out as much of the student vote as possible, and each organization has worked out a complete system of helping its supporters to cast their ballots, no matter how far away from Cambridge they may live.

"Absentee registration is the tougher situation," Theodore Frazier '41, chairman of the Willkie Club, explained last night. "In all the states except the closed 12, the absentee balloting is fairly easy."

Both Fraizer and John M. London '41, chairman of the Damocratic Club, urged voters to get in touch with their committee in order to simplify the process of voting. The Republicans maintain their headquarters with a complete information center at 2 Plympton Street. The Democrats have a less centralized system, with chairmen in each House Each chairman and his assistants will be fully prepared with information on how to vote by mail. Their names will be posted on House bulletin boards today.

Difference Among States

The situation is complicated by the difference among states in forms of absentee voting.

Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina are the states in which it is impossible to cast absentee votes from college. Several other states charge a small fee of about $.25.

However, a quirk in the Massachusetts law allows a student who can prove that he is supported practically entirely from a scholarship or from a trust fund and that he was in the state six months ago (May 5) can register and vote as a citizen of the Commonwealth.