1192

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 328

(A)  EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF LAWS REFERRED BY THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY ONLY TO VOTERS OF ONE COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY, TO
FULFILL THE ADVERTISING PROVISIONS OF ARTICLES XIV AND XVI
OF THE CONSTITUTION OF MARYLAND, THE STATE ADMINISTRATOR OF
ELECTION LAWS THE SECRETARY OF STATE, BY ORDER OF THE
GOVERNOR, SHALL CAUSE THE FOLLOWING TO BE PUBLISHED ONCE A
WEEK FOR THE 2 WEEKS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE GENERAL
ELECTION AT WHICH THE QUESTIONS WILL APPEAR ON THE BALLOT IN
AT LEAST TWO NEWSPAPERS OF GENERAL CIRCULATION PUBLISHED
WITHIN EACH COUNTY OR IN ONE NEWSPAPER IF ONLY ONE IS
PUBLISHED CIRCULATED IN A COUNTY, AND IN THREE NEWSPAPERS
PUBLISHED IN BALTIMORE CITY:

(1)  THE BALLOT TITLE PREPARED BY THE SECRETARY
OF STATE OF EACH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND EACH
REFERENDUM QUESTION; AND

(2) (I) A BRIEF STATEMENT, PREPARED IN CLEAR AND
CONCISE LANGUAGE, DEVOID OF TECHNICAL AND LEGAL TERMS TO THE
EXTENT PRACTICABLE, SUMMARIZING SHE EACH AMENDMENT AND EACH
QUESTION. (II) THIS EACH STATEMENT SHALL BE PREPARED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE AND APPROVED BY THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL UNLESS ANOTHER STATEMENT IS INCLUDED IN THE
TEXT OF A BILL PROPOSING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. THE
(III) EACH APPROVED OR STATUTORY STATEMENT, IF NOT INCLUDED
IN THE TEXT OF A BILL PROPOSING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT,
SHALL BE FORWARDED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO THE STATE
ADMINISTRATOR OF ELECTION LAWS THE SECRETARY OF STATE NOT
LATER THAN THE THIRD MONDAY IN AUGUST IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING
THE GENERAL ELECTION. (IV) BEGINNING WITH THE 1981 SESSION,
ANY SUCH STATEMENT SUMMARIZING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE TEXT OF THE BILL BY WHICH THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROPOSES THAT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

(B)  IN THE CASE OF LAWS REFERRED BY THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY TO THE VOTERS IN ONLY ONE COUNTY OR THE CITY OF
BALTIMORE, TO FULFILL THE ADVERTISING PROVISIONS OF ARTICLES
XIV AND ARTICLE XVI OF THE CONSTITUTION OF MARYLAND, SHE A
TITLE AND STATEMENT FOR EACH LAW SHALL BE PUBLISHED ONCE A
WEEK FOR 2 WEEKS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE GENERAL ELECTION
IN THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE COUNTY OR CITY IN WHICH THE
AMENDMENT OR QUESTION IS ON THE BALLOT AT WHICH THE
QUESTIONS WILL APPEAR ON THE BALLOT AS FOLLOWS:

(1)  IN AT LEAST TWO NEWSPAPERS OF GENERAL
CIRCULATION PUBLISHED WITHIN THE COUNTY;

(2)  IN ONE NEWSPAPER IF ONLY ONE IS PUBLISHED
GENERALLY CIRCULATED IN THE COUNTY; OR

(3)  IN THREE NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN BALTIMORE
CITY.

(C) (1) THE STATE ADMINISTRATOR OF ELECTION LAWS THE
SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL PROVIDE EACH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF ELECTIONS WITH THE COMPLETE TEXT OF EACH CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT AND EACH REFERENDUM QUESTION TO BE VOTED ON IN