Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-04-03
STATE PRIMARY ELECTION LAW

sno PRIMARY oli pheseu ny tno into "' J'""N
Legislature:
All parties which at the general election
next preceding the primary polled 10 per
cent. of the entire vote cast in the several
counties of the State at that election must
hold their primaries under the law. Candi-
dates may be nominated by direct vote Of the
party or by convention, the delegates TO which
must be elected by the direct vote, accord
ing to the law, as shall be determined upon
from time to time by the State Central Com
mittee or other governing body OF SAID polit-
lcal parties In counties where II has hereto.
fore been the custom to use the crawford
county plan it shall not be lawful to nomi-
nate by convention without first submitting
any change to the voters of the party in those
counties The date Of primaries is to be
fixed by the party committee not later than
the second Monday in September. The polls
may be open from 8 A. NJ. to p. M, but
not less than four hours. Supervisors OF
Election are to supply lists OF the registered
voters for use at the primaries.
The primary election of each political par
ty shall be conducted by three judges and
two clerks belonging to said respective par
ties, who shall be appointed by the members
of the Board Of Supervisors OF Election IN
the following manner The members OF the
majority party upon said board shall appoint
the judges and clerks for the majority party
and the members Of the minority party upon
said board shall appoint judges and clerks for
said minority party, and all of the members
of said board, or a majority OF them, shall
appoint the judges and clerks for any other
party which may hold or be required to Id
a primary election, and before any person
shall act as Judge or clerk at such primary
election he shall take an oath that he will
dislharge the duty of said office fairly and
honestly and that he will not ascertain nor
divalge how any person votes.
Senator Biddison's amendment provides
that in Baltimore county the judges and
clerks must be appointed by the county COM
mittees Of the respective parties.
All candidates shall file with the State
Central Committee or other party governing
body for the several counties at least II days
prior to the said primary election certificate
stating his residence and age and the once
or convention for which he seeks to be nomi-
mated, and five days thereafter he shall pay
to the State Central Committee or other gov
erning body the sum estimated by such COM
mittee or governing body as his fair proper
tomato part necessary to deiray the expenses,
provided that in the case of candidates for
office said proportonate parts shall be esti-
mated according to the number of candidates
and the salaries Of the various Offices sought.
The ballots to be used at all primary cleo
tons shall be printed by the State Central
Committee of the party, with the names OF
candidates for any given Office arranged al
phabetically and according to surname, on
opaque white paper OF uniform size and in
number not less than twice the number of
registered voters, and shall be deli vered to
the return Judge In each district or precinct
at least three days before the primary. and
the committee shall print at the same time
and distribute to any candidate ordering and
paving the cost OF the same any number OF
official ballots such candidate may desire.
Said ballots shall contain the names OF all
delegates TO any convention who shall have
complied with the requirements OF the atore-
going section or the names OF all candidates
to be voted upon by the direct vote VINO
have complied with the foregoing require
ments, az the case may be.
The primary shall, as far as practicable,
be held in the vicinity Of the place OF hold
ing general elections, and the Board OF Eiec-
ton Supervisors shall provide the ballot
boxes, lists Of voters tally sheets, poll books
and Opaque white gum envelopes, the latter
to be in number 20 per cent. more than the
estimated vote OF the party.
Candidates shall each be entitled to one
watcher or challenger at each poll, who shall
be permitted within the polling place, there
to be not more than five altogether. The bal
lot boxes may be examined by the challengers
and placed where they may be easily seen.
No person shall be permitted TO votein any
primary unless he shall be registered voter
in the election district in which he desires
to vote and member of the party at whose
primary election he tenders his ballot, and no
person shall vote in the primary election Of
more than one party, and any registered
voter who at the last precedin election voted
for the electors for President or Vice-Presi-
dent Of the United States or Governor OF the
State of Maryland, or Comptroller or other
State candidate, or the county candidates OF
the party at whose primary he tenders his
ballot. or registered voter who shall attain the
age of 81 years prior to the next election, or
who. having failed to vote at such election,
declares his intention to vote at the next
succeeding election for the candidates named
by the party at whose election he tenders
his ballot shall be deemed member OF such
party and entitled to vote at such primary
election.
The voter shall prepare his ballot by can
ceiling. using black pencil, the ma mes Of
those for whom he does not desire to vote
Each ballot cast at such primary election
shall be handed by the voter to one OF the
Judges of the election, folded so that the con-
tents thereof cannot be seen, and the Judge
of election 60 receiving such ballot shall
place the same in aplain, white Opaque en-
yeiope and seal the same and deposit such
envelope 80 sealed In the ballot box in the
presence of the voter and the other judges OF
election, after majority of the judges are
satisfied that he is qualified TO vote. Ballots
with marks to identify them are rejected, and
where there are more than one In an envelope
they are rejected.
And the intention, so for as the same may
be ascertained from each ballot itself, shall,
in the absence Of any unlawful or fraudulent
mark or device thereon or inclosed Herewith
or on the envelope containing the same, pre-
vail. If more names are marked for any office
than there are persons TO be voted for, such
ballots shalI not be counted for such candi-
dates or delegates, US the case may be, but
The whole ballot shall not for that reason be
rejected for candidates for other Offices, II any,
and ballot marked by any other than black
mcneil shall not be counted. The directions
for making and declaring the count are SINH
lar to those of the general election law, as are
the directions about preserving and returning
ballot boxes, ballots, poll books and other
papers. oo,,,o -
ties shall respectively assemble in the Court
Honse at 4 O'Clock, A. NJ, on Tuesday next
succeeding the primary, receive the ballot
boxes from the return judges, and shall pro-
coed In public 10 canvass the vote and pub
I;clv tn announce the result. II any protest
against the result is announced the commit
ices decide it, Judges of elections have pow
err TO order the arrest Of persons violating the
law. The return judges are to receive ~
and the other judges and the clerks % each,
to be paid BY the County Commissioners, as
well "a other costs. The cost Of making lists
of voters is limited to 500 and Of correcting
and posting lists not to exceed $50, other
costs to be paid by the party committees.
Nominations made by conventions are to be
certified by the presiding officers and those
made by direct vote by the party committee.
Every candidate for State ofice-that is
to say, for an Office filed by the vote Of all
the registered voters OF the State Of Mary
land-shall have the right 10 submit his can
didacy to direct vote Of the registered voters
in each county and in each legislative district
of Baltimore city; and every candidate for
State Office shall be nominated by direct