860 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 441

house or place to be selected by them at which said election
shall be held and the hours the polls shall be opened
and closed respectively, and they shall, at least ten days before
such election, appoint three persons as judges, who shall con-
duct the election; the polls shall be opened at 2 o'clock P. M.,
and close at 6 o'clock P. M.; if any of such judges of election
shall refuse or decline or be unable to act as such the Town
Commissioners shall fill the vacancy. Should any of such
judges fail to appear at the time and place for opening the
polls and holding the election the remaining judge or judges
shall fill the vacancy; the said judges shall serve without pay,
and shall promptly make their returns to the Town Commis-
sioners, certifying and declaring what persons shall have been
elected Town Commissioners of La Plata at said election, and
the Town Commissioners to whom such returns are made shall
determine all questions arising upon said returns, and shall
cause the said certificate and declarations of the said judges of
elections to be recorded among the records of the corporation;
the first election held under this act shall be held on the first
Monday in May, in the year 1918.

The voting at all elections held under the provisions of this
act shall be by ballot, on which shall be written the names of
three persons and no more, possessing the qualifications for
Town Commissioners of La Plata, as prescribed in this act,
and no other words, letters, figures, signs or symbols shall be
printed or written upon said ballots; no other ballot than
those herein prescribed shall be received or counted by the
Judges of election. The ballots shall be received by the
Judges, one of whom shall place the ballot in a box provided
for that purpose, and another of whom shall write upon paper
provided for the purpose, the name of each voter whose ballot
is received; immediately after the close of the polls the bal-
lots shall be taken from the box, one by one, counted and tal-
lied by the Judges of election; the papers containing the
names of the voters and tally as aforesaid, shall constitute a
part of the returns of the Judges of any election. The three
candidates or persons voted for at any election, receiving the
highest number of legal votes cast shall be declared Town
Commissioners of La Plata elected at that election. Should
there be a tie vote between any candidates at any election held
under the provisions of this act, the Judges of said election
shall determine and declare, if it should be necessary, which
of such candidates shall be returned elected Town Commis-