on the second Wednesday of January next ensuing his elec-
tion, and continue for four years, and until his successor
shall have qualified; but the Governor chosen at the first
election under this Constitution shall not enter upon the
discharge of the duties of the office until the expiration of
the term for which the present incumbent was elected; un-
less the said office shall become vacant by death, resigna-
tion, removal from the State, or other disqualification of
the said incumbent..

[SECTION 1. The executive power of the State shall be
vested in a Governor, whose term of office shall commence
on the second Wednesday of January next ensuing his
election, and continue for four years, and until his suc-
cessor shall have qualified; and a person who has served
two consecutive popular elective terms of office as Gov-
ernor shall be ineligible to succeed himself as Governor for
the term immediately following the second of said two
consecutive popular elective terms.] 1.

SEC. 2. An election for Governor, under this Constitu-
tion, shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Mon-
day of November, in the year eighteen hundred and sixty-
seven, and on the same day and month in every fourth
year thereafter, at the places of voting for delegates to the
General Assembly; 2 and every person qualified to vote for
Delegates shall be qualified and entitled to vote for Gover-
nor ; the election to be held in the same manner as the elec-
tion of Delegates, and the returns thereof under seal to be
addressed to the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and
enclosed and transmitted to the Secretary of State, and de-
livered to said Speaker, at the commencement of the ses-
sion of the General Assembly next ensuing said election..

SEC. 3. The Speaker of the House of Delegates shall
then open the said returns in the presence of both Houses;
and the person having the highest number of votes, and
being constitutionally eligible, shall be the Governor, and
shall qualify, in the manner herein prescribed, on the sec-
ond Wednesday of January next ensuing his election, or as
soon thereafter as may be practicable..

SEC. 4. If two or more persons shall have the highest
and an equal number of votes for Governor, one of them
shall be chosen Governor by the Senate and House of Dele-
gates, and all questions in relation to the eligibility of Gov-
ernor, and to the returns of said election, and to the num-.

1 This amendment was submitted by Act of 1947, Ch. 109, and will be voted
upon try the voters in November, 1948.
2 This section modified by Article XVII, Sections 2 and 3..