The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-02-06


are also to constitute a board of
registration for such precinct. Gen
eral registration is to be annual in
Baltimore city and quadrennial' in
the counties, the period of such
general registration in the latter
being fixed for the years in wI}ch
Presidential elections shall ochnr.
intermediate registration Us Aa.Sy,
provided for.
The method of making nominal
tions is also defined and full pro-
vision is made for Independent can
didates and for the right of the
elector to vote for some indiyldual
not named as a candidate.
Official ballots and glass ballot
boxes shall be provided, very much
as under the present system.
At elections each party having
candidates duly selected shall haye
the right to designate and keep a
challenger Or watcher at the place
of election. (The same right is
given at each place of registration
alsO). Such watchers ''shall be as
signed to such position near the
judges of election, inside the reg
istratlon or polling room as to en-
able them to see each person as he
offers to register or vote, and they
shall be protected in the discharge
of their duty by the judges of cleo
ton and the police
The voting booths to be provided
by the supervisors Of election "shall
be constructed Of planks not less
than one inch in thickness, and
shall be Of such width, depth and
height that the voter in marking
his ballot therein shall be screened
from the observation of others, and
for this purpose a short~U%ftain.
shall be hung across the front of
each compartment at a convenient
height and so as to extend a little
below the shelf on which the bal
lots are to be marked. This pro-
vision supplies an important omis-
sion in the present law, and shuts
the voter out of sight of the prylng
eyes of those whose espionage would
be a constraint upon his freedom of
action. 1t is really one of the most
important features of the law, al
though there are others to protect
the voter and to prevent every other
person from obtaining any actual
knowledge of the character of his
ticket. He is subject to u penalty
for his exhibiting his ticket in any
manner by which another might as
certain for whom he votes. FIVE
minutes is the limit of time allowed
voter in the booth to mark his
ballot. Soliciting votes within a
hundred feet of the polling place is
prohibited under penalty.
Duplicate returns of the election
are to be made, in the counties one
copy to be filed with the clerks of
the Circuit Courts and one with the
County Commissioners, and IN Bal
tlmore City with the clerk of the
Superior Court and the Mayor.
The custody of the ballot boxes
containing the ballots and the poll
books, is provided for. Canvassing
boards are created by the law. In
the counties these boards are to be
constituted of the supervisors of
elections, the States attorneys and
the presiding judges of the Or
phans' Courts. The Secretary of
State, Comptroller, Treasurer,
Clerk Of the Court of Appeals and
Attorney-General are to constitute
the State board. The county boards
are to canvass county elections on
the Tuesday following such cleo
ton; and the State board the vote
for State officers within thirty DAYS.
These boards are u new feature in
Maryland elections and appear to
be superfluous.
Severe penalties are provided for
offences against the provisions of
the law.
The State is distmcted for men,
bers of Congress and the Legisla-