MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                                   357

[[canvassing]] disclosing or reporting of absentee
ballots by precinct; correcting certain language;
and providing that this Act is an emergency measure.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 33 — Election Code

Section 27-9(b)

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1971 Replacement Volume and 1975 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That Section 27-9(b) of Article 33 - Election
Code, of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1971 Replacement
Volume and 1975 Supplement) be and it is hereby repealed
and reenacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

Article 33 — Election Code

2 7-9.

(b) At any time after the closing of the polls and
not later than the canvass of the votes cast at the
regular voting places in this State at any election, the
several boards shall meet at the usual place for holding
the circuit court for the county or at the usual offices
of the board and shall proceed to count, certify and
canvass the absentee ballots contained in the ballot
envelopes, received by them prior to the closing of the
polls on election day. [No] A ballot [shall] MAY NOT be
rejected by the board except by the unanimous vote of the
entire board. This canvass shall be conducted by
ELECTION district or ward [and precinct] and precinct OR
BY CONGRESSIONAL, COUNCILMANIC, OR LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS
in accordance with the applicable provisions of § 14—1 of
this article. ABSENTEE BALLOTS MAY NOT BE [[CANVASSED]]
SEPARATELY DISCLOSED OR REPORTED BY PRECINCT. All voters'
applications, medical certificates, notarial affidavits,
certifications, ballot envelopes and ballots shall be
kept separate and apart from ballots cast at the regular
voting places and retained for six [(6)] months after the
date of election at which they were cast, unless prior to
that time, the board [shall be] IS ordered by a court of
competent jurisdiction, to keep the same for any longer
period. The several boards [are hereby granted authority
to] MAY appoint such numbers of temporary judges as
[said] THE boards may deem necessary to adequately and
promptly carry out the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
health and safety and having been passed by a yea and nay
vote supported by three—fifths of all the members elected
to each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, the
same shall take effect from the date of its passage.