FREDERICK COUNTY. 2543

1898, ch. 2. 1904, ch. 329, sec. 270HHH. 1918 Code, sec. 410.
385. The judges shall then open the ballot box and count and announce
the whole number of ballots in the box. They shall reject any ballots
which are deceitfully folded together, and any ballots which do not have
endorsed thereon the name or initials of the judge who held the ballots.
If the voter has marked more names than there are persons to be elected
to an office, or if, for any reason, it is impossible to determine the voter's
choice for any office to be filled, his ballot shall not be counted for such
office. Ballots not counted for such defects shall be marked "Defective"
on the back thereof, and shall be wrapped in a separate package and re-
turned to the ballot box, as hereinafter directed. When the voter marks
the cross-mark opposite the 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 him also making the
cross mark opposite one or more names of candidates in the said group
but if 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 shall be counted for such 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 said marked party
group opposite the name of any candidate marked as aforesaid 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 it 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 canvass and count the "straights,"
or full tickets, laying aside, while so doing, the "split" or "scratched
tickets, and after they have so canvassed 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 several judges looking at each ballot,
and the clerks making tally of the same. When all the ballots have been
canvassed in this manner, the election clerks shall compare their tallies
together and ascertain the total number of votes received by each can-
didate, and when they agree upon the number, one of them shall announce,
in a loud voice, to the judges the aggregate number of votes received by
each candidate. If requested by any watcher or challenger present at any
canvass, it shall be the duty of the judges, and each of them, to exhibit to
such watcher or challenger, any ballot cast, fully opened, or in such con-
dition and manner that he may "fully read and examine the same, but the
judges shall not allow any ballot to be taken from their hands. As the
ballots are counted they shall be strung upon a strong twine.