834/Maryland Manual

upon the person's best knowledge and belief, every sig-
nature on the paper is genuine and bona fide and that
the signers are registered voters at the address set oppo-
site or below their names. The General Assembly shall
prescribe by law the form of the petition, the manner
for verifying its authenticity, and other administrative
procedures which facilitate the petition process and
which are not in conflict with this Article.

SEC. 5. (a) The General Assembly shall provide for
furnishing the voters of the State the text of all mea-
sures to be voted upon by the people; provided, that
until otherwise provided by law the same shall be
published in the manner prescribed by Article XIV of
the Constitution for the publication of proposed Consti-
tutional Amendments.

(b) All laws referred under the provisions of this Ar-
ticle shall be submitted separately on the ballots to the
voters of the people, but if containing more than two
hundred words, the full text shall not be printed on the
official ballots, but the Secretary of State shall prepare
and submit a ballot title of each such measure in such
form as to present the purpose of said measure concise-
ly and intelligently. The ballot title may be distinct
from the legislative title, but in any case the legislative
title shall be sufficient. Upon each of the ballots, fol-
lowing the ballot title or text, as the case may be, of
each such measure, there shall be printed the words
"For the referred law" and "Against the referred law,"
as the case may be. The votes cast for and against any
such referred law shall be returned to the Governor in
the manner prescribed with respect to proposed amend-
ments to the Constitution under Article XIV of this
Constitution, and the Governor shall proclaim the re-
sult of the election, and, if it shall appear that the ma-
jority of the votes cast on any such measure were cast
in favor thereof, the Governor shall by his proclamation
declare the same having received a majority of the votes
to have been adopted by the people of Maryland as a
part of the laws of the State, to take effect thirty days
after such election, and in like manner and with like ef-
fect the Governor shall proclaim the result of the local
election as to any Public Local Law which shall have
been submitted to the voters of any County or of the
City of Baltimore.

SEC. 6.²¹⁹ No law, licensing, regulating, prohibiting,
or submitting to local option, the manufacture or sale
of malt or spirituous liquors, shall be referred or re-
pealed under the provisions of this Article.

ARTICLE XVII²²⁰

QUADRENNIAL ELECTIONS.

SEC. I.²²¹ The purpose of this Article is to reduce
the number of elections by providing that all State and

Article XVI

county elections shall be held only in every fourth year,
and at the time provided by law for holding congressio-
nal elections, and to bring the terms of appointive offi-
cers into harmony with the changes effected in the time
of the beginning of the terms of elective officers. The
administrative and judicial officers of the State shall
construe the provisions of this Article so as to effectu-
ate that purpose. For the purpose of this Article only
the word "officers" shall be construed to include those
holding positions and other places of employment in
the State and county governments whose terms are
fixed by law, but it shall not include any appointments
made by the Board of Public Works, nor appointments
by the Governor for terms of three years.

SEC. 2.²²² Vacant.

SEC. 3.^m\\\ State and county officers elected by
qualified voters (except judges of the Circuit Courts,
judges of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City, judges
of the Court of Appeals and judges of any intermediate
courts of appeal) shall hold office for terms of four
years, and until their successors shall qualify.

SEC. 4.²²⁴ The term of office of all Judges and other
officers, for whose election provision is made by this
Constitution, shall, except in cases otherwise expressly
provided herein, commence from the time of their Elec-
tion. All such officers shall qualify as soon after their
election as practicable, and shall enter upon the duties
of their respective offices immediately upon their qualifi-
cation.

SEC. 5.²²⁵ All officers to be appointed by the Gover-
nor shall hold office for the terms fixed by law. All offi-
cers appointed by County Commissioners shall hold
office for terms of four years, unless otherwise duly
changed by law.

SEC. 6.²²⁶ The terms of the members of the Board of
Supervisors of Elections of Baltimore City and of the
several counties shall commence on the first Monday of
June next ensuing their appointment.

SEC. 7.²²⁷ Sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of this Article do
not apply or refer to members of any elective local
board of education.

SEC. 8.²²⁸ If at any election directed by this Consti-
tution, any two or more candidates shall have the