The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-04-22
THE PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.

THE PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.
In response to number of in
quiries, we give the following synop.
sis of the primary election lawpassed
by the last legislature.
The bill provides that all political
parties, which at the November
election of 1903 polled ten per cent
of the vote, shall in the year 1905,
and biennially thereafter, nominate
their candidates for all local offices
to be voted for, including the Senate
and House of Delegates, by means of
a primary election law conducted
under the provisions of this act. The
candidates may be nominated by
direct vote of the duly registered
voters belonging to or acting with
the parties, or they may be nominat-
ed by county conventions, the dele
gates to which shall be elected at
primary elections. The day is to be
fixed by agreement between the
governing bodies of said parties, and
is to be not earlier than the second
Saturday in June or later than the
second Saturday in September. The
supervisors are to be notified of the
day upon which the parties have
agreed, and if they do not agree it
shall be on the second Saturday i'll
September 1t shall be the duty Of
the supervisors to select four judges
and two clerks, taking two from
each of the parties, the same TO be
designated in the advertisement
giving public notice. The form of
the ballots, with the name of the
candidates or delegates to be voted
for, is to be furnished to the super
visors of election ten days before the
primary is held. The supervisors
are to furnish all the ballots to be
used at said primaries; ballots of the
different political parties to be on
different colored paper.
After the next general registration
each person offering to vote shall be
required to make his political decla-
ration and he shall be supplied with
only the ticket representing that
party. The polls are to be open at
noon and close at six o'clock p. NJ.
and only persons whose names are
on the books of registration shall be
allowed to vote. Two ballot boxes
will be used, one for each political
party. The compensation of the
judges and clerks shall be So per day
and the return Judge is to receive So
additional. At the next generalregis-
tration, provision shall be made in
the registry books allowing a column
in which to record the sentiment of
the voter who shall desire to have
his name entered thereon. He can
state his party utilization and there
after is entitled to the ticket of the
party to which the registration book
shows he belongs. Ifhe does not de-
sire to state his utilization he can de-
cline to do so, but is not entitled to
vote at any primary election. The
bill provides heavy penalties for any
fraudulent act on the part of the
voter or officer.
The details of conducting the
primary election, except as above
provided, are to be under such rules
and regulations as the Board of
Supervisors shall adopt, said rules
to be published at the same time the
said Board of Supervisors publish
the date of holding the primaries.
The provisions of this act do not ap-
ply to primaries for the selection of
delegates to congressional, judicial
or state conventions. Each political
party is required to bear one fourth of
the cost of conducting said primaries,
and the Supervisors are not allowed
to place upon the official ballot the
names ofany candidates whose party
has failed to comply with the pro-
visions of this section.