SEC. 2. ²²² Vacant.

SEC. 3. All State and county officers elected by qualified
voters (except judges of the Circuit Courts, judges of the Su-
preme 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. 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 Election. 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. All officers to be appointed by the Governor shall
hold office for the terms fixed by law. All officers appointed by
County Commissioners shall hold office for terms of four years,
unless otherwise duly changed by law.

SEC. 6. The terms of the members of the Board of Super-
visors 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. If at any election directed by this Constitution,
any two or more candidates shall have the highest and an equal
number of votes, a new election shall be ordered by the Gover-
nor, except in cases specially provided for by this Constitution.

229
SEC. 9. In the event of any inconsistency between the

provisions of this Article and any of the other provisions of the
Constitution, the provisions of this Article shall prevail, and all
other provisions shall be repealed or abrogated to the extent of
such inconsistency.

SEC. 10. ²³⁰ Vacant.
SEC. 11. ²³¹ Vacant.
SEC. 12. ²³² Vacant.
SEC. 13. ²³³ Vacant.

ARTICLE XVIII. ²³⁴

PROVISIONS OF LIMITED DURATION.

SEC. 1. Any provision of limited duration adopted pursuant
to Article XIV is set forth below. As each expires, it shall stand
repealed, and no further action shall be required to remove it
from the Constitution.

SEC. 2. (a) For the purpose of implementing the amend-
ments, proposed by Chapter 523 of the Acts of 1980 (H. B.
1729) (OLR3623) or (S. B. 784) (OLR0746), concerning the cre-
ation of a consolidated Circuit Court of Baltimore City, this sec-
tion temporarily is a part of Article IV - Judiciary Department,
sees. 5, 25, and 26 of the Constitution. This section shall expire
(in accordance with Article XIV, sec. 1A of the Constitution),
when, under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, all
of the judges of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City who are
serving on December 31, 1982 have completed their then ex-
isting terms, or have otherwise vacated their offices without
completing those terms.

(b) Each judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City, who
is in office on December 31, 1982, shall continue in office as a
judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, for the remainder
of the term to which he was appointed or elected, subject to the
provisions of Article IV, sections 3, 4, 4A, 4B, and 5 of the Con-
stitution.

(c) Each clerk and each deputy clerk of a court of the Su-
preme Bench of Baltimore City who is in office on December 31,
1982 shall become a deputy clerk of the Circuit Court for Balti-
more City with no diminution of salary and as such shall occupy
a position in the personnel merit system for the office of the
clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. These persons
shall serve subject to the provisions of Article IV, section 26 of
the Constitution. Each person who otherwise has been employed
in the office of a clerk of a court of the Supreme Bench of Balti-
more City in a position authorized prior to June 30, 1982, shall
become an employee of the office of the clerk of the Circuit
Court for Baltimore City and occupy a position in the personnel
merit system for that office, with no diminution in salary, subject
to the provisions of Article IV, section 26 of the Constitution.

(d) At the primary and general elections occurring in 1982 in
Baltimore City, there shall be nominated and elected one clerk
who shall be designated as clerk of the Circuit Court for Balti-
more City as created under the amendments proposed in section
2 of said Chapter 523, Acts of 1980. A clerk of one of the courts
of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City is eligible to run in this
election.

(e) The amendments to Article IV and this Article XVIII of
the Constitution (proposed by the above referenced Chapter 523
of the Acts of 1980) if approved by the voters at the general
election in Nov., 1980, shall take effect on January 1, 1983.

SEC. 3 Of the methods of election of county commission-
ers authorized by Section 1 of Article VII, and of members of
county councils authorized by Section 3A(a) of Article XI-A, of
this act, that method in effect in each county immediately pre-
ceding the effective date of this act shall remain in effect unless
changed on or after that date pursuant to this Constitution.