660                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 372

21.

From and after January 1, 1955, there shall be in the third, fourth,
fifth, sixth and seventh circuits at least one judge for each county,
who shall be a resident of the county in which he shall hold office,
and who shall be elected by the voters thereof, to be styled judges
of the Circuit Court, to be elected or appointed as herein provided.
The number of judges for any of the circuits or for any of the coun-
ties, may be increased or decreased by the General Assembly from
time to time, and any vacancy so created shall be filled as provided in
Section 5 of this Article except that in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth,
and seventh judicial circuits there, shall never be less than one judge
for each county and in all of the circuits there shall never be less
than four for each circuit. The senior judge in length of service
shall be the chief judge of the circuit; the other judge or judges
shall be associate judges. In the first and second judicial circuits
no two of said judges of the Circuit Court shall at the time of their
election or appointment, or during the term for which they may
have been elected or appointed, reside in any one county, except in
Cecil County wherein two said judges may reside at one time
PROVIDED THAT EACH OF THE OTHER COUNTIES WITH-
IN THE SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SHALL HAVE AT
LEAST ONE JUDGE RESIDENT THEREIN. In the first
and second judicial circuits, in case any candidate or candidates
for judge at any election shall receive sufficient votes to cause such
candidate or candidates to be declared elected, but the election of
such candidate or candidates would cause more judges than herein
permitted to reside in any county of the circuit, then and in that
event there shall be declared elected only that candidate or those
candidates residing in said county, in the order of the votes received,
whose election would provide the permitted number of judges from
said county, and also the candidate or candidates residing in some
other county, and not similarly disqualified, who shall have the next
highest number of votes in said election. If, by reason of such a
condition or by reason of an equal vote for two or more candidates
a sufficient number of judges duly qualified as to residence shall not
be elected at any election, then it shall be the duty of the Governor
to order a new election for such unfilled office or offices. From and
after December 1, 1954, there shall be not less than two judges
resident in Anne Arundel County, and not less than three judges
resident in Baltimore County. From and after December 1, 1960,
there shall be not less than four judges resident in Prince George's
County. From and after December 1, 1960, there shall be not less
than five judges resident in Montgomery County.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article the vacancy in
Montgomery County created by the adoption of this amendment shall
not be filled by appointment as provided in Section 5 of this Article,
but at the first biennial general election for Representatives in Con-
gress, after the adoption of this amendment a judge shall be elected
by the qualified voters of Montgomery County to fill such vacancy in
such county. Any other vacancy in the office of Judge of the Circuit
Court for Montgomery County and any vacancy in the second judicial
circuit shall be filled as provided in Sections 3 and 5 of this Article,
except that the person initially appointed to fill the vacancy in the
second judicial circuit shall be a resident of Kent County.