ART. 33] MANNER OF VOTING. 887

name of the voter upon their poll books. Upon receipt of his ballot the
voter shall forthwith, and without leaving the enclosed space, retire
alone to one of the booths or compartments and prepare his ballot by
marking with an indelible pencil after the name of every person or
persons for whom he intends to vote, and to the right thereof, in the
blank space provided therefor, a cross—for example (x)—and in case
of a question submitted to a vote of the people, by marking likewise in
the appropriate space a cross-mark (x) against the answer which he
desires to give. Not more than one voter shall be permitted to occupy
any one booth or compartment at one time, and no voter shall remain
in or occupy a booth longer than may be necessary to prepare his ballot,
and in no event longer than seven minutes in case all such booths or
compartments are in use and other voters are waiting to occupy the
same. Before leaving the voting booth or compartment the voter shall
fold his ballot without displaying the marks thereon, and in the same
way it was folded when received by him, and he shall keep the same
so folded until he has voted, and so that the signature or initials of
the judge from whom he received it, and the name and number written
on the coupon thereof, but nothing else thereon may be seen. He shall
forthwith hand his said ballot to the judge at the ballot box, and shall
give hie name and residence and upon his being identified as the person
who received said ballot, the judge shall deposit his ballot in the box,
having first detached therefrom its coupon, which he shall then string
upon a cord or wire to be provided for the purpose, and the said voter
shall forthwith leave the enclosed space. The judges having charge of
the registers shall then in the column therein headed "voted" in the
same line with the name of the voter mark the word "voted" or the
letter "V." No ballot without the indorsement of the name or initials
of the judge thereon, as hereinbefore provided, shall be deposited in said
ballot-box, but if deposited shall be counted for the purpose of ascertain-
ing the number thereof, and the judges shall in ink mark on the back
thereof the word "counted" and indorse their names.

The "blank space" is the square mentioned in section 56. Duvall v. Miller,
94 Md. 710.

When the absence of the Judge's initials from the back of the ballot render
it invalid; effect of the initials being written upon the coupon instead of the
back of the ballot. Coulehan v. White, 95 Md. 704. And see Leonard v. Wool-
ford, 91 Md. 640.

This section referred to in discussing the question of whether a bill propos-
ing an amendment to the constitution, contained distinct legislation requir-
ing the signature of the governor. Warfield v. Vandiver, 101 Md. 131 (dis-
senting opinion).

The act of 1865, ch. 174, referred to in discussing whether or not the regis-
ters had duly qualified. Hardesty v. Taft, 23 Md. 526. As to the validity of
the act of 1865, ch. 174, see Anderson v. Baker, 23 Md. 531.
See notes to sec. 73.

1904, art. 33, sec. 67. 1896, ch. 202, sec. 62. 1901, ch. 2.

69. Assistance in marking their ballots shall be given to voters who
shall declare under oath to the judges of election that by reason of
blindness or physical disability they are unable without assistance to