2130                               Municipal Charters

(g) If any qualified voter desiring to vote by absentee ballot pur-
suant to 19A-2 herein is unable by reason of blindness or physical dis-
ability, without assistance, to mark a ballot and sign the oath on the bal-
lot envelope, any person may, at the request and in accordance with the
direction of the voter, mark the ballot, sign the name of the voter on the
line provided for the voter's signature, and complete the oath on the face
of the ballot envelope; and the following affidavit shall be executed and
enclosed in the Return Envelope—not in the Ballot Envelope. No such
person shall, in any manner, request, suggest, or seek to persuade or in-
duce any such voter to vote for or against any particular ticket, candidate,
or question.

"State of Maryland
Town of Elkton, to wit:

I hereby declare, under the penalty for perjury, that on this................

day of........................, 19 ,...................................., a qualified voter entitled

to vote pursuant to Article 19A of the Charter of the Town of Elkton,
who is unable by reason of blindness or physical disability, without as-
sistance, to mark a ballot and sign the oath on the ballot envelope, author-
ized me to mark the ballot, sign his name on the line provided for the
voter's signature and complete the oath on the face of the ballot envelope.
I have marked the enclosed ballot in accordance with his instructions and
have not attempted to influence him to vote for or against any political
party, any candidate or any question appearing on the ballot.

(Name and address of person
assisting the voter)

(If the above form is used, detach it, fill in the blanks, and enclose
in the Return Envelope.)"

19A-9. CANVASSING OF BALLOTS.

(a)   OPENING OR UNFOLDING BALLOTS.—The board shall not
open or unfold any absentee ballot at any time prior to the closing of
the polls and the beginning of the canvass of the absentee ballots.

(b)    PROCEDURE GENERALLY.—At any time after the closing
of the polls and not later than the canvas of the votes cast at the regular
voting places in this Town at any election, the board shall meet 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 ballot shall be rejected
by the board except by the unanimous vote of the entire board. 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 ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, to keep the
same for any longer period. The board is hereby granted authority to
appoint such numbers of temporary judges as said board may deem neces-
sary to adequately and promptly carry out the provisions of this section.

(c)   BALLOT VOTED FOR PERSON WHO HAS CEASED TO BE
A CANDIDATE.—Any absentee ballot voted for a person who has ceased
to be a candidate shall not be counted for such candidate but such vote
shall not invalidate the remainder of such ballot.