392 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



ARTICLE II. 



RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE. 



Sec. 1. Every white male citizen of the United 

 States, and every white male citizen of Mexico, who 

 shall have elected to become a citizen of the United 

 States, under the treaty of peace exchanged and rati- 

 fied at Queretaro, on the 80th day of May, 1848, of 

 the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a 

 resident of the State six months next preceding the 

 election, and the county or district in which he claims 

 his vote thirty days, shall be entitled to vote at all 

 elections which are now or hereafter may be autho- 

 rized by law : Provided, that nothing herein contained 

 shall be construed to prevent the Legislature, by a 

 two-thirds concurrent vote, from admitting to the 

 right of suffrage, Indians or the descendants of Indians, 

 in such special cases as such a proportion of the legis- 

 lative body may deem just and proper. 



Sec. 2. Electors shall, on all cases except treason, 

 felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest 

 on the days of the election, during their attendance at 

 such election, going to and returning therefrom. 



Sec. 3. No elector shall be obliged to perform militia 

 duty on the day of election, except in time of war or 

 public danger. 



Sec. 4. For the purpose of voting, no person shall 

 be deemed to have gained or lost a residence by rea- 

 son of his presence or absence while employed in the 

 service of the LTnited States ; nor while engaged in 

 the navigation of the waters of this State, or of the 

 United States, or of the high seas ; nor while a student 

 of any seminary of learning ; nor while kept at any 



