466                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 352

seal on the operating lever at the time set for the opening of the
polls, and said lever shall then be operated only by duly qualified
voters for the purpose of registering their respective votes.

(c) The machine shall remain locked against voting until the polls
are opened, and shall not be operated except by voters in voting. If
any counter is found not to register zero (000), the judges of elec-
tion shall immediately notify the custodian, or the board of super-
visors of elections, who shall, if practicable, adjust or cause the
counters to be adjusted at zero (000); but if it shall be found im-
practicable for the custodian or other person authorized by the said
board to arrive in time so to adjust such counter before the time set
for opening the polls, the judges shall immediately make a written
record of the designation or designating letter or number of each
counter, together with the numbers registered thereon, hereinbelow
called the initial numbers, and shall sign and post the same upon
the wall of the polling place, where it shall remain until the polls
are closed; if the machine is so constructed as to furnish a printed
or photographic record of the setting of the counters and the num-
bers registered thereon by voting and if it shall be found imprac-
ticable for the custodian or other person authorized by the said board
to arrive in time so as to adjust such counter before the time set for
opening the polls there shall be posted as above provided in lieu of
the written record of the judges the printed or photographic record
of the counter setting furnished by the machine, [and,] In filling out
the return of the election, if the final number of such counter is
greater than the initial number, the election officers shall subtract
the initial number from the final number and enter the difference
on the returns as the vote for the candidate or on the question repre-
sented by such counter; if the final number of such counter is less
than the initial number, the judges of election shall add one thou-
sand to the final number and shall subtract the initial number from
the sum so ascertained, and shall enter upon the returns, as the vote
for the candidate or on the question represented by such counter the
final number plus one thousand less the initial number.

131.

(b) The judges, in the presence of the watchers and all other per-
sons who may be lawfully within the polling place, shall then, except
in the case where the machine is so constructed as to furnish a
printed or photographic record of the setting of the counters and the
numbers registered thereon by voting, make visible the registering
counters, and, for that purpose, shall unlock and open the doors, or
other covering concealing the same, giving full view of all the
counter numbers. The judges, under the scrutiny of the watcher, and
in the order of the offices as their titles are arranged on the machine,
shall read and announce, in distinct tones, the designation or desig-
nating number and letter on each counter for each candidate's name,
the result as shown by the counter numbers, and/or the designation
or designating numbers and letters on each counter, and the results
as shown by the counter numbers for and against each question voted
on. The counter shall not be read consecutively along the party rows
or columns, but shall always be read along the office columns or
rows, completing the canvass for each office or question before pro-
ceeding to the next. The vote as registered shall be entered by the
judges, in ink, on triplicate return sheets, and also on a general