90

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

so by law in some legal proceedings, and I will in all things

faithfully execute the duties of my office of ballot-clerk ac-

cording to the best of my knowledge, without favor or

partiality, so help me God ; " the obligation to serve as such

ballot-clerks, and the penalty for refusal to serve shall be

the same as provided by law in regard to judges of election

.

in like case ; any person having served as ballot-clerk shall

not be obliged to serve again for three years thereafter ;

warrants shall be issued to said ballot-clerks in the same

manner and by the same persons as to the judges of election ;

the two ballot -clerks appointed above for each ward, shall

on the morning of the election and after the ballots have

been opened by the return judges, receive the same from the

judges of election and have charge thereof ; and shall fur-

nish them to the voters in the manner hereinafter set forth ;

if any ballot-clerk, or other officer of election shall fail to

appear at the opening of the polls, or be, or become unable

Vacancy.

to serve, the vacancy shall be filled by the board of super-
visors of elect ion immediately upon the fact of said vacancy

being called to their attention or by any one of said super-

visors of election, if at the time of notice of such vacancy,

said board of supervisors be not in session.

161 OO. The said board of supervisors of election shall

cause each polling place to be suitably provided with a

Voting

sufficient number of voting shelves or compartments to be

shelves to
be pro-

furnished by the County Commissioners of Washington

vided

County, together with the necessary rails and tables, at or

in which voters may conveniently mark their ballots, so that

in marking thereof they may be in sight; but be screened

from the observation of others, and a guard rail shall be so

constructed and placed that only such persons as are inside

said rail can approach within six feet of the ballot boxes,

and of such voting shelves or compartments ; the arrange-

ments shall be such that neither the ballot boxes nor the

voting shelves or compartments shall be hidden from view

of those just outside the said guard rail ; the number of such

voting shelves or compartments shall not be less than one

for every one hundred voters qualified to vote at such polling

place, no persons other than the said election officers and

voters admitted as herein provided, shall be admitted witliin

said rail except election police appointed by the judges of

election, for the sole purpose of keeping order and enforcing

the law ; the number of such election police shall be such as

said judges of election shall determine, and their compen-

sation shall be the same as that of the judges of election ;

each voting shelf or compartment shall be kept provided by

the ballot clerks with proper supplies and conveniences for

marking the ballots, and each ballot shall be marked by the