HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 1513

voting booths or compartments, in which voters may conveni-
ently mark their ballots. Said booths or compartments shall
be constructed of plank not less than one inch in thickness
or of substantial metallic or other material and shall be of
such width, depth and height that the voter in marking his
ballot therein, shall be screened from the observations of
others, and for this purpose a short curtain shall be hung
across the front of each compartment at a convenient height,
and so as to extend a little below the shelf hereinafter men-
tioned. Each compartment shall have a shelf within the same,
and shall be provided with proper supplies and conveniences
for marking the ballots, and a guard-rail shall be constructed
in said polling place so as to divide the space occupied by the
judges of election and other officials and persons permitted
by law to be within the same from the public; said guard-
rail shall have an entrance and exit therein and shall also be
so constructed and placed that only persons who are inside
said rail can approach within five feet of the ballot boxes.
The arrangements of such polling places shall be such that
neither the ballot boxes nor the voting booths or compartments
shall be hidden from view of those just outside of said guard-
rail. The number of such compartments shall not be less than
one for every one hundred voters qualified to vote at such poll-
ing place in Baltimore, and not less than five in any city, and
not less than three in any polling place in any county. No per-
son other than voters engaged in preparing or depositing their
ballots and the election officers shall be permitted to be within
said rail, unless by authority of the judges of election, for the
purpose of keeping order and enforcing the law. The ballot box
shall be within said rail and not more than six feet there-
from. The expense of providing such booths or compartments
and guard-rail shall be a public charge, and the same, after
the election is over, shall be preserved by the Supervisors of
Elections for subsequent use.

67. As soon as the polls are open and immediately before any
ballots are received by the judges, they shall open every ballot-
box used or to be used, and having taken therefrom the poll-
books, ballots and all the blanks and stationery provided by the
Supervisors of Elections, they shall permit all persons right-
fully present to examine such ballot boxes, and every part
thereof, so that they may be satisfied as to the structure thereof,
and that such ballot-box is empty. The ballot-box shall then be
locked and the key delivered to one of the judges, and shall not
again be opened until the closing of the polls; and until such
closing each ballot-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 per-