834                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 392

member or members of the board shall appoint the judge. If the
member or members of the board belonging to the political party
entitled to be represented by a judge shall file in the office of the
board a statement in writing that a suitable person cannot in his
or their judgment be secured in any particular district or ward to
fill the position of judge, the position then may be filled by a person
otherwise qualified residing in another district or ward.

(d)    The judges shall be appointed not later than the Tuesday
which is thirteen weeks prior to the STATE-WIDE primary election
in any year in which a STATE-WIDE primary election is to be held;
and unless excused for good cause by the board they shall be bound to
serve in such position for a period of two years.

(e)    Following their appointment, all judges shall appear at the
office of the board. Each person shall take and subscribe to the oath
prescribed in Article 1, Sec. 6 of the Constitution of Maryland. The
oath shall be taken and subscribed to before one of the members
of the board, or any clerks especially designated by the board for
this purpose, and commissions shall thereupon be issued to the
judges. In the discretion of the board, the oath may be taken and
subscribed to upon forms to be supplied by the board before any
officer authorized by law to administer oaths; and upon receipt of
the form, duly executed, the board shall issue a commission therefor.

(f)    Each board shall have power to fix the compensation of
judges within the limits of the amounts authorized for this purpose
by the county commissioners, county council or the mayor and city
council of Baltimore, as the case may be, provided that compensa-
tion shall not be less than twenty dollars ($20.00) per day for each
day actually served.

(g)    Judges shall receive a course of instruction in their duties
administered by the board. For attending the required courses of
instruction in Allegany County, the judges shall receive as com-
pensation the sum of five dollars ($5.00) for each day of instruction
and a mileage allowance for each such day at the rate of ten cents
per mile between their residence and the place where the course of
instruction is given.

(h) It shall be the duty of each board to examine promptly into
any complaints which may be made to it with reference to the
fitness or qualifications of any person appointed to be a judge; and
it shall be the further duty of the board to remove from such position
any judge found by it to be unfit or incompetent for such position.

(i) Any vacancies in the position of judge shall be filled by the
board in the manner hereinabove prescribed for appointments to
such positions.

2-8. Substitute election officials.

(a) If any judge shall not be present at the expiration of fifteen
minutes after the time for the opening of the polls, the judge or
judges present shall fill the place of the absent judge by appointing
in his stead a person of the same political party as the absentee.
One of the judges shall administer to such substitute the oath re-
quired of the judge originally appointed, (b) After the opening
of the polls, no judge shall absent himself therefrom until all the
ballots cast shall have been counted and the returns completed. If