The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-16
COUNT OF THE BALLOTS.

81. AS soon as the election polls shall
have been closed the judges in their sew
eral precincts shall Immediately, and at
the place of polling, proceed. as herein
before provided, to canvass the votes
cast. having first sealed up the unused
ballots remaining of the package last
broken by them, and endorsed the same
with their signatures as unused bal
lots" The canvass shall not be adjourn
ed or postponed until 1t shall have been
fully completed, nor until the several
statements te ne Is hereinafter required to be
been made out, signed and sealed by
them. The Judges shall have the right
to station police officers or officers of the
peace within the room wherein such can
yass is made. in order to keep the peace
The challengers and watchers shall be
allowed to be present inside the guard-ran
and SO near that they can see that the
Judges and clerks are faithfully perform
ing their duties.
65. Immediately after the closing of the
polls, before the ballot-box is opened, all
the coupons taken from the ballots cast
shall be destroyed. and each of the cleo
ton clerks shall write his name in each
of the poll-books Immediately under the
shall write, in ink, opposite to and against
the name of each person entered in their
registers who is not shown by said regis
column headed Voted" the word NO
SO that the said column may be wholly
filled up, and the judges shall then com
pare the REGISTERS, make IleTn agree, and
ascertain the number of persons who, by
said registers, are shown to have voted
at that polling place ON that day; and
when they have made comparison and
ascertalned such fact they shall an
nounce the same in loud voice.
&C; The judges shall then open the bal
lot-box and count and announce the whole
number of ballots in the box. They shall
reject any ballots which are deceitfuily
folded together and any ballots which do
not have endorsed thereon the name or
initials of the judge who held the ballots.
II the voter has marked more names than
| there are persons to be elected to an office
or II for any reason II is impossible to
determine the voters choice for any office
TO be filled, his ballot shall not be counted
for such office. Ballots not counted tor
such defects shall be marked defective"
on the back thereof, and shall be wrapped
IN separate package and returned in the
ballot-boX, as hereinafter directed. Where
the voter makes the cross-mark opposite
party emblem his vote shall be counted
as cast for all the candidates in such party
group whose names are not erased and
! the effect of such marking shall not be
altered by his also making the cross-mark
opposite one or more names of candidates
in the said group; but II a voter shall have
made the cross-mark opposite a party
name or emblem, and also opposite one
or more names of candidates in another
column, his vote shah be counted for each
candidate so marked in another column
and also for all the candidates under the
marked party name or emblem whose
names are not erased, and each name IN
the said marked party group opposite the
name OF any candidate marked as afore-
said IN another column shall be deemed
erased unless the voter has, by erasure,
indicated some other name in the said
marked group that is to be omitted in its
stead, The said Judges shall count the
votes IN the following manner: They shall
open the ballots. and all of these shall be
canVassed separately by one of the Judges
sitting between two other judges, which
judge shall call out each name and the
office for which 1t Is designated. the other
judges looking at the ballot at the same
time and the clerks making tally of the
same, or the said judges may first can
vass and count the straight" or full tick
cts, laying aside. whilst so doing. the
split or scratched" tickets. and after
tney nave SO eanvassed and counted the
straight or full tickets they shall, If such
there are, proceed to call Off canvass and
count each name and the Office for which
IT Is designated on the split or scratched
tickets so previously laid aside the sew
eral judges looking at each ballot and the
clerks making tally of the same When
all the ballots have been canvassed in
pare their tallies together and ascertain
the total number of votes received by
each candidate, and when they agree upon
the numbers one of them shall announce
in loud voice to the judges the aggre-
gate number Of votes received by each
candidate. If requested by any watcher
or challenger present at any canvass, it
OF them, to exhibit to such watcher or
challenger any ballot cast, fully opened.
or in such condition and manner that he
may fully read and examine the same
but the judges shall not allow any ballot
10 be taken from their hands. As the
ballots are counted they shall be strung
upon strong Irvine.
81. When the canvass of the ballots
shall have been completed, and the clerks
shall have announced to the judges The
total number of votes received by each
candidate. each Of the judges of election,
q
voice the total number Of votes received
by each person voted for in such precinct
and the office for which he is designated
and the number of votes for and the
number OF votes against any proposition
which shall have been submitted TO the
vote. of the people. Such proclamation
shall be prima facie evidence of the re-
suit OF the canvass of such ballots In
the city OF Baltimore the Judges shall
Immediately after such proclamation de-
liver to policeman on duty at the noiI-
Ing place statement subscribed with
their names. which shall be sealed IN
and forthwith conveyed by the said policer
man to. the office OF the Board Of 'pniice