Estopinal v. Michel

Citations

• 121 La. 879
• 46 So. 907
• 1908 La. LEXIS 764

Syllabus

<p>1. Elections — Voters — Qualifications— “Residence.”</p> <p>The term “residence,” used by the Constitution in fixing the qualification of voters, does not mean domicile.</p> <p>[Ed. Note. — For cases in point, see Cent. Dig. vol. 18, Elections, §§ 67-74.</p> <p>For other definitions, see Words and Phrases,vol. 7, pp. 6151-6161; vol. 8, p. 7788.]</p> <p>2. Same.</p> <p>The object of requiring the voter to have resided for a time at the place where he offers to vote is that he may be afforded an opportunity to acquire the information necessary for an intelligent vote, and become identified with the interests of the locality, and also to prevent the colonization of voters.</p> <p>3. Domicile — Evidence.</p> <p>In the absence of proof that a person otherwise qualified has acquired a residence elsewhere, he must be considered to be a resident of the parish where his work requires him to stay, where he was born, and where he has always lived and voted; and it makes no difference that he has never had in said parish any other home than a boarding house, while he has had in another parish a home where he has kept his wife and children, whom he has visited as often as he could.</p> <p>(Syllabus by the Court.)</p>