The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1912-05-10
ICHAPTER 347. /


AN ACT to repeal and re-enact with
amendments Section 160E of Article
33 of the Code of Public General
Laws of Maryland, title Elections"
subtitle Primary Elections" as
said Section was enacted by Chap
ter 2 of the Acts of the General
Assembly of 1912, relating to the
subject Primary Elections" includ-
ing the provision for furnishing
new registry books and TRANSCRIPT
ing the names of qualified voters
residing in the several counties of
the State from the registry books
in use to the new registry books,
and providing for the payment of
the cost thereof by the County
Commissioners of the several coun-
ties of the State.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Gen
eral Assembly of Maryland, That Sec
ton 160E of Article 33 of the Code
of Public General Laws of Maryland,
title ELECTIONS" subtitle Primary
Elections" as said Section was en-
acted by Chapter 2 of the Acts of the
General Assembly of 1912, be and the
same is hereby repealed and re-
enacted, with amendments, SO as to
read as follows:
160E. AS many different sets of
official ballots shall be printed and
supplied by the Board of Supervisors
of Elections at each polling place
and as many ballot, boxes shall be
used at each polling place, as there
are separate party nominations, dele
gates, executives or managing or
executive bodies to be voted for; and
to prevent voters belonging to or act
ing with one political party from in
advertently or Intentionally casting
their ballots for the candidate for
nomination for office, or election as
delegate to any convention or as
executive or member of an executive
or managing committee of any other
party, and to facilitate it's being
promptly detected if so cast, the bal
lots of the several parties shall be
printed upon Opaque paper of different
colors, to be determined by the several
Boards of Supervisors of Elections;
and until after the next general reg
iStration in the counties every person
offering to vote at a primary election
shall be required to state to which
party he belongs and which party's
candidate he intends to vote for at
the State, city or county election, and
every qualified person offering to vote
in the several counties in the State
at a primary election shall be permit
ted to vote in the primary election of
| that party to which he belongs and
which party candidates he intends to
vote for at the State or county cleo
ton and in Baltimore City and in
the counties. After the next general
registration in the counties, every
qualified person offering to vote at
primary election shall be permitted
to vote in the primary election of
that party only with which he shall
appear upon the books of registration
to be affiliated. The respective Boards
of Supervisors of Elections in the
several counties are hereby author
lied and required, Immediately upon
the passage of this Act, to have pre-
pared new books of registry for use
in all of the districts or precincts of
the said several counties for the tran
scribing of the names of the qualified
voters residing therein from the reg
istration books in use. The said tran
scribing shall be done in the Offices
of the Boards of Supervisors of Elec-
tons by four ca clerks to be selected,
two by the Supervisors representing
the majority party and two by the
Supervisors representing the minority
party as the said parties are now con-
stitued in this State, except Baltimore
county, where said transcribing shall
be done in the office of the Board of
Supervisors of Election by twelve 12)
clerks, to be selected, six by the SUI
pervisors representing the majority
party and six by the Supervisor rep
resenting the minority party, as the
said parties are now constituted in
this State. The transcribing shall be
done by the said clerks and the new
books, after being Transcribed, shall
correspond in all respects, and if they
do not correspond at the conclusion
| of the work, or if any error in tran
scribing be alleged to exist, either or
any of said clerks or any citizen or
voter in any one of said counties may
! file a petition in the Circuit Court
within ten days after said work is
| finished, naming said clerks and the
Board of Supervisors of Elections as
defendants, and the said Court shall
| have the power to make such order
| for the correction of said books as
may be proper. The cost of such
| preparation of proper registry books
shall be paid by the County Commits
sioners of the county in which such
| subdivision shall be made, upon proper
acquisitions and vouchers presented
| by the Boards of Supervisors of Flee
tions. Any political party that polled
! more than one per cent. of the votes
cast at the last election may, through
it's political committee, if it has one,
! or by citizens representing said party,
| if there be no political committee,
! name a watcher and substitute watch
| er who shall be permitted to attend
at the transcribing of said names and
| have power to examine the said books
| during the sitting of said clerks for
| the said work and for a period of
| five days thereafter in the presence of
said Board of Supervisors. In the
| books of registry so provided for to
| be used in transcribing said registered
voters in each and every county of
| the State subsequent to the passage
| of this Act, there shall be provided
| q distinct column headed Party Affili-
! ations," and the Board of Registers
| shall enter in this column the name of
! the political party, if any, to which
the voter is inclined and with which
! the voter desires to have himself re-
corded as affiliated 1t shall be the
| duty of the Board of Registry to eX-
plain to each voter that the statement
! of such party utilization does not bind
| him to vote for the candidate of such
party at any given election; also that
| he las tle right to decline to state