1034 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 680]

in the manner following: Such voter, after making such oath,
may require one of the clerks to read to him the contents of the
ballot so that the voter can ascertain the position of the names
of the candidates on each ballot. The clerk so requested shall
read said ballot to such voter in the presence of the other clerk
whereupon the voter shall retire to one of the booths or com-
partments and prepare his ballot, in the manner hereinbefore
provided; or such voter may request one of said clerks, in the
presence of the other, to mark the names of the candidates for
whom he shall desire to vote. 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
ballot, and how long such disability has existed, and blanks for
such affidavits shall be furnished by the city register in suffi-
cient numbers for each polling place, and all such affidavits
shall be returned with the pollbooks.

SEC. 270HHH. The judges shall then open the ballot box
and count and announce the whole number of ballots in the box.
They shall reject any ballots which are deceitfully folded
together. If the voter has marked more names than there are
persons to be elected to an office or if for any reason, it is impos-
sible 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. The said
judges shall count the votes in the following manner: They
shall open the ballots, and all of these shall be canvassed sepa-
rately by one of the 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. When all the
ballots shall have been canvassed in this manner, the election
clerks shall compare their tallies together and ascertain the
total number of votes received by each candidate, and when
they agree upon the number, one of them shall announce in a
loud voice to the judges the aggregate number of votes received
by each candidate. If requested by any watcher or challenger
at any canvass, it shall be the duty of the judges, and each of
them, to exhibit to such watcher or challenger any ballot cast,
fully open, or in such condition and manner that he may fully
read and examine the same, but the judges shall not allow any
ballot to be taken from their hands. As the ballots are counted
they shall be strung upon a strong twine.