Lehigh v. Wooley’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 2 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “It was stipulated that appellees wrote the words “out of town” in the last blank space as the “reason” for being absent. It is appellants’ contention however that the assigned “reason” is insufficient and does not meet the requirements of the above mentioned statute. This objection was appellants’ sole ground for refusing to count appellees’ ballots. The burden of appellants’ argument appears to be that it was incumbent upon appellees to explain why it was necessary for them to be “out of town”. The trial court held that the “reason” given by appellees was a substantial compliance with the statute, and we agree with that holding. We do not believe the legislature meant for an absentee voter to explain in detail the “reason” for being absent on election day. If a real and convincing “reason” should be required, then it follows that someone would have to judge the sufficiency of that reason. Such a procedure could easily result in an elector being compelled to divulge personal secrets in order to exercise his constitutional right to suffrage. Appellants lay much stress on the words “unavoidably absent” as meaning the elector must give a good reason why he will be “absent from town”. We point out however that the elector is only required to give a good reason why he will be “absent” from the voting precinct. We then submit that if the elector is “out of town” on election day he will “be unavoidably absent” from his voting precinct.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Forrest v. Baker