818

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

district; each one of the said supervisors of elections shall
have a vote upon the proposed selection or nomination of any
election clerk, and if in any instance, in consequence of such
vote, the board cannot agree upon such appointment, then the
names of three persons who are eligible shall be submitted for
selection for election clerks by the supervisor or supervisors of
election belonging to the leading political party entitled to be
represented by such election clerk, and out of said three
names the other supervisor or supervisors representing the
other political party of the State, shall select the name of such
election clerk, if otherwise eligible, who, when so selected,
shall be appointed the ballot clerk, and shall serve, unless
removed by said board of supervisors of election, so there
shall be two ballot clerks for each voting place, and
the said ballot clerks shall hold their office for the same
period as the judges of election; and one of the said
ballot Clerks shall be selected from each of the two different
parties which polled the largest number of votes at the last
preceding general election; the compensation of the ballot
clerks shall be the same as that ot" judges of election; before

Oath of bal-
lot clerks.

proceeding to act, they shall take and subscribe an oath, or
affirmation, if they be conscientiously scrupulous of taking an
oath, in the following form : "I will not attempt to ascertain,
save in cases and in the manner in which I am authorized by
law to do, for what candidate or candidates any person shall
vote or have voted, or how any person shall vote or has voted
on any question which may be or may have been submitted to
the vote of the people of Frederick, and if such knowledge
shall be acquired by me in the performance of my duty, I will
not directly or indirectly, by word or act, divulge or reveal the
same, or aid in doing so, save when I may be required to do so
by law in some legal proceeding, and I will in all things
faithfully execute the duties of my office of ballot clerk,
according to the best of my knowledge, without favor or
partiality, so help me God;" the obligation to serve as such
ballot clerks, and the penalty for refusal to serve, shall be the
same as provided by law in regard to judges of election in like
case; any person having served as ballot clerk shall not be
obliged to serve again for three years thereafter; warrants shall
be issued to said ballot clerks in the same manner and by the
same persons as to judges of election; the two ballot clerks
appointed as above tor each aldermanic district shall, on the
morning of the election and after the ballots have been opened
by the return judges, receive the same from the judges of elec-
tion and have charge thereof; and shall furnish them to the