254 ELECTIONS. [ART. I 33

together with the cards of instruction and the key of the
ballot box for such precinct, having first placed in the, ballot-box
one of the sealed packages of ballots for said precincts, the
specimen ballots, the two poll-books and all blanks, indelible
pencils and stationery required for such elections, and shall
deliver the said packages and ballot-boxes, properly addressed,
to the sheriff of the county, and the said board of police com-
missioners and sheriff shall, respectively, receipt therefor, and
shall deliver or cause the same to be delivered to the judges of
election of the respective precincts at or before the opening of
the polls on the day of election. The several boards of super-
visors shall keep a record of the time when such deliveries are
made by them and of the particulars thereof.

1896, ch. 202.

55. The judges of election, and each of them, shall have
authority to keep the peace, and to cause any person to be
arrested for any breach of the peace, or for any breach of the
election laws, or any interference with the progress of an elec*
tion, or of the canvass of the ballots; and it shall be the duty
of all officers of the law present to obey the order of any judge
of election, and an officer making an arrest by the direction of
any judge shall be protected in so doing as fully as if a warrant
had been issued to him to make such arrest.

Ibid.

56. The polling places shall be opened by the judges at six
o'clock in the morning in the city of Baltimore, and at eight
o'clock in the morning in the counties, and in said city shall be
kept open until five o'clock, and in the counties until six o'clock
in the afternoon of the same day, at which time the polls shall
be closed. If any judge or clerk shall not be present at the
expiration of fifteen minutes after the time for opening the
polls, the judge or judges present shall fill the place of such
absent judge or clerk by appointing in his stead a person of the
same political party as the absentee. One of the judges shall
administer to such substitute the oath required of the judge or
clerk originally appointed. After the opening of the polls no
judge or clerk shall absent himself therefrom, until all the ballots
cast shall have been counted and the returns completed. If, in