82

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

161 P. The judges of election may administer an oath in

Administer

rany inquiry they may deem necessary to be made touching

Oath

the right of any person offering to vote ; and if any person

shall swear falsely in relation thereto, he shall, upon convic-

tion thereof, suffer the pains and penalties of perjury.

To Notify

161 Q. It shall be the special duty of the judges of election

States

to give information to the State's Attorney of Washington

Attorney

County of all infractions of this article when discovered by

them, under the penalty of twenty dollars for neglect in

each case.

161 R. If any candidate, or other person or persons, shall

Candidate,
Fraud by

practice force and violence, with intent to influence unduly,

or to overawe, intercept or hinder any election, he shall, on

conviction thereof in the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction of

Washington County, suffer such fine, or such imprisonment,

or both as is prescribed in section 161 N.

161 S. The board of supervisors of election shall under a

penalty of five hundred dollars, provide, or cause to be pro-

Ballot
Boxes

vided and delivered to the judges of election in each ward,

previous to or at the commencement of each election a box

for receiving the ballots, and two separate books for the

purpose of entering the names of the voters. All ballot

boxes shall be constructed as follows: Each box shall be one

foot, outside measure, as near as may be in width, depth,

and length, strapped and secured on each edge and corner

with iron or brass, so as to prevent it from being easily

broken, and shall have a wooden lid which shall be fastened

with brass or iron hinges and a good lock, and there shall

be in the lid a slit large enough to admit a single folded

ballot at one time, and the sides of the box shall be of clear

plate glass not less than one-eighth of an inch in thickness.

As soon as the polls are opened, and immediately before any

ballots are received by the judges, they shall open every

ballot box, used or to be used, and permit all persons present

to examine such ballot box and every part thereof, so that

they may be satisfied as to the structure thereof and that

said boxes are empty. The boxes shall then be locked and

the key delivered to one of the judges, and shall not be again

opened until the closing of the polls ; and until such closing

each box shall be kept constantly in sight of all persons

entitled to be present, and shall be so placed that the voter

offering his ballot, and the judges and clerks and all persous

entitled to be present, may conveniently see every ballot

deposited therein.

161 T. Hereafter all ballots to be used and cast in any

Ballots.

election to be held in the city of Hagerstown and the several

wards thereof, shall be printed and distributed at the expense