ELECTIONS 1469

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 his 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 ascertaining 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 sec. 56 of An. Code, 1912 (repealed
by act, 1914, ch. 307). Duvall v. Miller, 94 Md. 710.

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

This section referred to in discussing question of whether a bill proposing an amend-
ment to Constitution contained distinct legislation requiring signature of Governor.
Warfield v. Vandiver, 101 Md. 131 (dissenting opinion).

The act of 1865, ch. 174, referred to in discussing whether or not registers had duly
qualified. Hardesty v. Taft, 23 Md. 526. As to the validity of act of 1865, ch. 174,
see Anderson v. Baker, 23 Md. 531.

This section referred to in construing sec. 255. Fitzgerald v. Quinn, 159 Md. 545.

See notes to sec. 116.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 76. 1912, sec. 69. 1904, sec. 67. 1896, ch. 202, sec. 62. 1901, ch. 2.

1939, ch. 129.

111. 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 mark
their ballot. Upon making and filing with the judges such affidavit the
voter shall retire to one of said booths with any immediate member of his
family whom he may select or with the two clerks and then and there the
immediate member of his family whom he has selected or in case he has
selected no one, one of said clerks, in the presence of the other, shall mark
the ballot as such voter shall direct, the voter himself naming one by one
the candidates for whom he desires his ballot to be marked and not indicat-
ing the candidates by a general designation as the candidates of any one
political party. The ballots shall not be read to such voter, nor shall any
suggestion of any kind be made by the member of his family whom he has