572

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

mark a group, should said voter desire to vote for an entire

group. Affidavits of such voters shall contain a statement

of the name and registered address of the voter, and of the

special reason why he is unable to mark his ballots, and how

Affidavits.

long such disability has existed; and blanks for such affidavits

shall be furnished by the Supervisors of Elections in sufficient

numbers for each polling place, and all such affidavits shall be

returned with the poll books.

270HHH. The judges shall then open the ballot box and

Mode of

count and announce the whole number of ballots in the box.

counting the
ballots.

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 returned 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

Cross marks

voter shall have made the cross mark opposite a party name

opposite
party name

or emblem and also opposite one or more names of candidates

or emblem.

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 the 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

Canvassing the
vote.

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, laving aside,

while so doing, the "split" or "scratched" tickets, and after they

have so canvassed and counted the straight or full tickets,