MARVIN MANDEL, Governor

55

registered to vote on the day of an election, OR if he is
unable to be physically present at the polls as a result
of illness or accident occurring after the time of making
application for an absentee ballot, or IF HE is unable to
be present because of a death or serious illness in his
immediate family occurring after the time for making
application. The application shall be made under penalty
of perjury but without formal oath, setting forth the
reason why the voter is unable to be present at the polls
on the day of the election. Upon receipt of the
application, the board, if satisfied that the person
cannot, in fact, be present at the polling place on the
day of the election, shall issue to the applicant, or his
duly authorized agent, an absentee ballot which shall be
marked by the voter, placed in a sealed envelope, and
returned to the board. If the applicant does not apply
in person, the application shall designate a voter
registered in the same county or Baltimore City as agent
for the purpose of delivering the absentee ballot to the
voter, and the agent shall execute an affidavit under
penalty of perjury that the ballot was delivered to the
voter who submitted the application, was marked by the
voter in the agent's presence, was placed in a sealed
envelope in the agent's presence, and returned, under
seal, to the board by the agent. Any emergency absentee
ballot received by the board after the time for closing
of the polls [shall] MAY not be counted.

2 7-4.

(a) A qualified voter desiring to vote at any
election as an absentee voter shall make application in
writing to the board for an absentee ballot, which
application must be received not later than [seven (7)
days before] THE TUESDAY PRECEDING the election. The
application shall contain an affidavit, which need not be
under oath but which shall set forth the following
information under penalty of perjury:

(1)         The voter's name and residence address,
including the street and number, if any, or rural route,
if any;

(2)         That the person is a qualified voter at
the residence address given;

(3)         If the person voted at the preceding
election, the residence address from which he voted; and

(4) That the voter expects in good faith to
be unable to vote in person for any of the reasons set
out in § 27-1 of this article.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1976.

Approved March 16, 1976.