1674 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

Councilmen; that we continued the polls open until 6 o 'clock
in the evening of the same day, when they were closed, the bal-
lot-box opened, the ballots publicly counted, when it appeared
that................ had ............. votes as.............

given under our hands at the place of said election, this.......

day of................... attested by................. Clerk;

a copy of the count as entered and endorsed on the books of the
polls as hereinafter provided; shall at the close of said election,
as soon as the count is closed and ascertained, be placed together
with all the ballots cast at said election in the ballot-box by the
Judges of Election and the ballot-box shall be locked and the
key removed therefrom, and the ballot-box delivered to the
Chief Judge of the Election and the key thereof to one of
the other judges; whereupon the judges of election shall all
write their names on a strip of paper of sufficient
length for the following purpose; said slip of paper shall be
pasted over the key hole of the ballot-box in such manner that
the signature shall extend across the opening of the lid, and so
that when the key is inserted, it will tear the paper so pasted
over the key hole of the ballot-box, and such paper shall be
securely fastened to the box with sealing wax or other adhesive
material within one day after an election and on said election
day, if practicable, the ballot-box and the key thereof shall be
delivered to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Washington
County, who shall safely keep the same for the space of six
months from the day of such delivery at which time said ballot-
box shall be opened by said Clerk and said ballots destroyed;
during which space of six months said ballot-box shall not be
opened except when ordered by the Court in a judicial investi-
gation or contested election; the presiding judges of election,
except in case of inability to attend, shall, within one day after
each election, under the penalty of five hundred dollars, meet, in
the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Washington
County, with the books of the polls and the certificates afore-
said ; the said judges so assembled shall cast up the whole vote
of all the wards, and shall then make out a plain, fair and dis-
tinct statement and certificate of the number of votes which
shall have been given for each candidate for each of the offices
voted for at said election, and the same shall then be filed with
the Clerk of said Court. The form of said certificate shall be
as follows: To.................................... whereas

an election for................. was held on the.............

of..................... in the year............in the City of

Hagerstown, and in the wards designated by number.........