368

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

present inside the guard-rail, and so near that they can see that
the judges and clerks are faithfully performing their duties.

Coupons to
be destroyed

65. Immediately after the closing of the polls, before the
ballot-box is opened, all the coupons taken from the ballots
cast shall be destroyed, and each of the election clerks shall
write his name in each of the poll-books, immediately under
the name of the last voter, and the judges shall write in ink,
opposite to and against the name of each person enteied in
their registers who is not shown by said registers to have voted,
and in the appropriate column headed "Voted" the word
"No," so that the said column may be wholly filled up, and the
judges shall then compare the registers, make them agree, and
ascertain the number of persons, who, by said registers, are
shown to have voted at that polling place on that day; and
when they have made comparison and ascertained such facts,
they shall announce the same in a loud voice.

What ballots
to be reject-
ed.

66. The judges shall then open the ballot-box and count and
announce the whole number of ballots in the box. They shall
reject any ballots which are deceitfully folded together, and
any ballots which do not have endorsed thereon the name
or initials of the judge who held the ballots. If the voter has
marked more names than there are persons to be elected to
an office, or if for any reason it is impossible to determine
the voter's choice for any office to be filled, his ballot shall
not be counted for such office. Ballots not counted for such
defects shall be marked "Defective" on the back thereof, and
shall be wrapped in a separate package and returned in the
ballot-box as hereinafter directed. Where the voter makes the
cross-marks opposite the party emblem his rote shall be
counted as cast for all the candidates in such party group,
whose names are not erased, and the effect of such mark-
ing shall not be altered by his also making the cross-mark
opposite one or more names of candidates in the said group ;
but if a voter shall have made the cross-mark opposite a
party name or emblem, and also opposite one or more
names of candidates in another column, his vote shall be
counted for each candidate so marked in another column and
also for all the candidates under the marked party name or
emblem whose names are not erased, and each name in the
said marked party group opposite the name of any candidate
marked, as aforesaid, in another column, shall be deemed
erased, unless the voter has, by erasure, indicated some other
name in the said marked group that is to be omitted in its
stead. The said judges shall count the votes in the following