The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-16
Public General Laws.

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prepare his ballot, and in no event long si
than five minutes, in case ali sucn DoVtns
or compartments are in use ana otnei
voters are waiting to occupy the salile
partment the voter shall fold his ballot,
without displaying the marks thereo oi. ~
the same way 1t was folded when receive
by him, and he shall keep the same So
folded until he has voted, and SO that
the signature or initials of the judge IRON
| whom he received il, and the name am
| number written on the coupon thereol,
but nothing else thereon, may be seen.
He shall forthwith hand his said ballot
TO the judge at the ballot-box' ana shaIi
| give his name and residence, ana upon
| his being identified as the person who re-
| ceived said ballot, the judge shall deposit
his ballot in the box, having first detached
string upon a cord or wire to be provided
| for the purpose, and the said voter shall
| forthwith leave the enclosed space The ne
Judges having charge of the registers shaii
then in the column therein headed
Voted in the same line with the name
of the voter, mark the word voted or
the letter "V." No ballot without the en-
dorsement OF the name or initials of the
judge thereon. as hereinbefore provided,
shall be deposited in said ballot-box; but,
II deposited, It shall be counted at the close
of the election. and the Judges shall, in
ink, mark on the back thereof the word
Counted" ard sign their names below,
e.. Any voter who declares under oath
to the Judges of election that he cannot
read or write. or that by reason of physi-
cal disability he is unable to mark his
ballot, and who shall have stated such
inability at the time of registering, and
is so entered in the registers, shall receive
the assistance of the clerks in preparing
the same in the manner following: Such
voter, after making such oath, may re-
quire one of the clerks to read to him the
contents of the ballot. so that the voter
can ascertain the position OF the names
of the candidates on each ballot. The
clerk so requested shall read said ballot
to such voter in the presence of the other
clerk, whereupon the voter shall retire to
one of the booths or compartments and
before provided. or such voter may re-
quest one of said clerks, in the presence OF
the other. to mark the names OF the can
didates for whom he shall desire to vote,
or mark a group, should said voter de-
sire to vote for an entire group. Afhdavits
of such voters shall contain a statement
of the name and registered address Of
the voter and of the special reason why he
Is unable to mark his ballot. and how long
such disability has existed; and blanks
for such afhdavits shall be furnished by
the supervisors Of elections in sufficient
numbers for each polling place, and all
such aftidavits shall be returned with the
poll-books.
60. ANY voter who shall. by accident or
mistake, spoil his ballot so that he cannot
conveniently vote the same, may, on re-
turning said spoiled ballot to the judge
holding the ballots. receive another in
place of It. with his name and the same
| number written on the coupon thereof
as on the ballot SO returned; but no voter
shall receive more than three ballots
| from said judge for the reason aforesaid.
The ballots thus returned shall be imme-
diately cancelled by endorsing thereon
| the word Spoiled" and, together with
those not distributed to the voters, shall
| be preserved and returned to the super
visors of elections, as hereinafter pro-
| Vided. Every voter who does not vote
any ballot delivered to him shall. before
ballot to the Judge from whom he re-
| ceived 1t, and said returned ballot shall
be retained as II said ballot had been
person whose name appears upon the
| registers shall make application for a
ballot. his right to vote at that election
| may be challenged, but shall not be deter
mined until after he has marked his ballot
| and delivered It to the judge at the ballot
| box. The person challenging shall assign
his reason therefor, and one of the judges
shall thereupon administer to the person
| offering to vote an oath to make true
answers to questions; and II he shall take
said oath he shall be questioned by the
| judge or judges touching said cause of
challenge. and he may also be questioned
by the person challenging him in regard
| thereto; and If a majority of the Judges
are. Of opinion that he is the person so
| registered his vote shall be received ac-
cordingly. No one who is not registered
| as a qualified voter of the precinct shall
| be entitled to vote or to receive ballot.
but no vote shall be rejected because OF
| an error in the spelling of the voters name
| or because OF the wrongful omission or
| addition Of one or more initials of his
| middle name or names, or because the
voter gives the initials, one or more, of
| his Christian or given name, instead of
| his full name, or one or more of his Chris
| tian or given name or names, instead of
i the initial or initials thereof. or because
| Of an error in the number of his residence
| on the register, provided a majority of
| the Judges are satisfied that the person
| offering to vote Is the identical person who
Is registered, and that he intended TO
register his true name and residence.
| Unless a majority of the judges are of
| the opinion that the person SO challenged
| Is entitled to vote, the judge at the ballot
box shall endorse upon his ballot the word
| ed and with its coupon attached. to the
| judge holding the ballots. and the clerks
| Of election shall draw line through the
name and number of said person, as en-
| tered on their poll-books, and write there
| after the word "rejected:"o If for any
| other reason a person who has received
a ballot shall leave the polling place with
| out voting, they shall likewise draw a
| line through his name and number on the
| poll-books and write thereafter the words
| did not vote" All ballots returned to
| the judge holding the ballots shall be
| Immediately strung by him upon cord or
| wire provided for the purpose. still folded,
and with the coupons still attached, and
each endorsed upon the back thereof with
the words spoiled or rejected" or
mot voted" as the case may be- and all
such ballots shall be returned to the SUI
pervisors of elections as hereinafter pro-
vided.