1300                             Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 739

as has the oath above directed to be printed on the State Ballot
Envelope.

(e) Instructions. The printed instructions shall be as follows:
Instruction to Voters

Enclosed herewith are a State Absentee Ballot, Ballot Envelope
and a Return Envelope for use in returning the ballot. You are
entitled to vote if you are a member of the Armed Forces of the
United States. You are also entitled to vote if you are a member
of the Merchant Marine, not in service or enrolled for service on
the Great Lakes or Inland Waterways of the United States, with
the American Red Cross, or other organizations covered by the
Absentee Voting Law, serving with the armed forces of the United
States outside of the United States.

(1)   Examine the ballot before marking. When once marked,
DO NOT ERASE, as an erasure will invalidate the ballot. Mark
the ballot with either pencil or ink by placing an X in the block
after each candidate for whom you wish to vote and in the appro-
priate block after each constitutional amendment, referendum or
any other question (if any appear on the ballot), for or against
which you wish to vote. Be sure not to vote for any number of
candidates for any office greater than the number specified over the
names of candidates for that office. The ballot should be marked
secretly, DO NOT SIGN YOUR NAME or put on the ballot any mark
of identification or any other mark except the X mark or the name of
a written-in candidate. Fold the ballot in the same creases as before
opening.

(2)  Then enclose the ballot in the "Ballot Envelope" and seal the
same.

(3) After sealing the Ballot Envelope, you MUST, in the presence
of a witness fill in the blanks in the "Oath of Absentee Resident"
on the Ballot Envelopes and sign (DO NOT PRINT) your name on
the line indicated. You MUST then swear to the Oath before the
witness who MUST fill in the date, sign HIS name and indicate
HIS rank or official position in the space provided. THE WIT-
NESS MUST BE A COMMISSIONED OFFICER, NON-COM-
MISSIONED OFFICER, NOT BELOW THE RANK OF SER-
GEANT, OR PETTY OFFICER.

(4) It is absolutely necessary that the "Ballot Envelope" contains
nothing but one ballot marked by you.

(5)  Enclose the "Ballot Envelope" in the "Return Envelope", seal
the "Return Envelope" and mail at once.

(6)  The ballot may be marked and mailed at any time after you
receive it but it must be received by the Secretary of State in time
to be delivered by him to the appropriate Supervisors of Elections
not later than the closing of the polls on election day. If it is not
received prior to such closing, it will not be counted.

(7)  If, in any election other than a primary, you desire not to
vote for any of the candidates named for any office on the ballot,
you may write in, in the appropriate blank space on the ballot, the
name of the person of your choice for such office.