Article III
Sec. 1: In all elections every inhabitant of this State being a citizen of the United States; every inhabitant residing in this State on the twenty-fourth day of June, eighteen hundred thirty-five; every inhabitant residing in this State on the first day of January, eighteen hundred fifty; every male inhabitant of foreign birth, who
,having resided in the State two years and six months prior to the eighth day of November, eighteen hundred ninety-four, and having declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States two years and six months prior to said last named day, and who shall have completed his naturalization prior to January first, nineteen hundred twenty-four; the wife of any inhabitant of foreign birth who, having resided in the State two years and six months prior to the eighth day of November, eighteen hundred ninety-four, and having declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States two years and six months prior to said last named day, and who shall have completed his naturalization prior to January one, nineteen hundred twenty-four; and every civilized inhabitant of Indian descent, a native of the United States, shall be an elector and entitled to vote; but no one shall be an elector and entitled to vote at any election, unless he or she shall be above the age of twenty-one years and has resided in this State six months, and in the township or ward in which he or she offers to vote twenty days next preceding such election: Provided, That no qualified elector in the actual military service of the United States or of this State or in the army or navy thereof, or any student while in attendance at any institution of learning, or any person engaged in teaching in the public schools of this State, or any regularly enrolled member of any citizens’ military or naval training camp, held under the authority of the government of the United States or the State of Michigan, or any member of the legislature while in attendance at any session of the legislature, or said member’s immediate family during such time, or commercial traveler, or any qualified elector employed upon or in the operation of railroad trains in this State, or any sailor engaged and employed on the great lakes or in coastwise trade, shall be deprived of a vote by reason of absence from the township, ward or State in which he or she resides; and the legislature shall provide by law the manner in which and the time and place at which such absent electors may vote and for the canvass and return of their votes: Provided further, That the legislature shall have power to pass laws covering qualified electors who may be necessarily absent from other causes than above specified: and provided further, That there shall be no denial of the elective franchise at any election on account of sex.
