Chapter 50 Elections

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Chapter 50 Elections 50-1 Purpose 50-2 Charter Authority 50-3 Definitions 50-4 Sample Ballots In Voting Booth 50-5 Assistance In Voting 50-6 Voters Waiting In Line At Poll Closing 50-7 Voters Entitled To Vote By Absentee Ballot 50-8 Deadline For Requesting Absentee Ballots 50-9 Right Of Challenger Or Watcher To Enter Polling Room 50-10 Positioning Of Challengers And Watchers 50-11 Conduct Of Challengers And Watchers In Polling Room 50-12 Other Challengers 50-13 Challenged Voters 50-14 Violations And Penalties [HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of Centreville 9-18-1986 by Ord. No. 832. Amendments noted where applicable.] GENERAL REFERENCES Registration, nominations and elections — See Charter, Art. IV. 50-1 Purpose The purpose of this chapter is to provide for elections for various Town offices of the Town of Centreville. 50-2 Charter Authority The Town Charter gives the Town Council of Centreville the express power to regulate the manner in which the elections of candidates for Town offices may be administered. 1 1 Editor's Note: See Article IV of the Charter. 50-3 Definitions As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated unless a contrary meaning is clearly intended from the contents in which the term appears: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ELECTIONS. The Board of Supervisors of Elections and the members thereof. ABSENTEE BALLOT. A written ballot, in the form prescribed by the Board of Supervisors of Elections, used by a registered and qualified voter of the Town of Centreville who is unable to be present at the polls. CANDIDATE. Any person who files for the candidacy for public office within the Town of Centreville. CHALLENGER-WATCHER. Any person or persons connected in any manner with a candidate's campaign, or connected in any manner with a political or organization formed for the purpose of assisting the promotion of the success or defeat of any candidate. POLLING ROOM. That room designated by the Board of Supervisors of Elections in which the actual voting for Town offices takes place. 50-4 Sample Ballots In Voting Booth Any voter may take into the polling room any written or printed memorandum or paper to assist in marking or preparing the ballot. The Board of Supervisors of Elections should take care to remove from the voting booth any sample ballot that a voter leaves behind. 50-5 Assistance In Voting Voters may not be permitted to receive assistance in voting at any election unless they declare under oath in the presence of at least two members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections the reason they are unable to vote without assistance. They must state their name and specific reason which requires them to receive assistance. The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall enter in writing on the record the assisted Voters. 50-6 Voters Waiting In Line At Poll Closing All qualified voters who are waiting in line to vote when the polls are closed shall be permitted to vote. 50-7 Voters Entitled To Vote By Absentee Ballot The following persons are entitled to vote by absentee ballot: Any qualified voter who may be absent on election day for any reason from the Town of Centreville where the voter is registered. In addition, the following persons are entitled to vote by emergency absentee ballot: Any qualified voter who is unable to be present at the polls as a result of illness or accident occurring after the time for applying for an absentee ballot has passed. Any qualified voter who is unable to be present at the polls because of a death or serious illness in the person's immediate family, about which the person becomes aware after the time for applying for an absentee ballot has passed. If the applicant does not apply in person, the application shall designate a voter registered in the Town of Centreville 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 of Supervisors of Elections by the agent. 50-8 Deadline For Requesting Absentee Ballots The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall furnish an absentee ballot to any qualified voter upon written or verbal request. This request shall be received no later than the Monday prior to the election unless it is an emergency application. 50-9 Right Of Challenger Or Watcher To Enter Polling Room A challenger or watcher has the right to enter a polling room 1/2 hour before the polls open. However, if a majority of the members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections present find that the presence of the challengers and watchers in the polling room prior to its opening will prevent the timely opening of the polls, the Board of Supervisors of Elections may direct all challengers and watchers to leave the polling room. The Board of Supervisors of Elections are not required to admit, before the polls open, any challenger or watcher who was not present at the polls at least 1/2 hour before its opening. A challenger or watcher has the right to enter or be present at the polling room at any time the polls are open, and may remain until the returns are completed. 50-10 Positioning Of Challengers And Watchers From the time the polls open until the time they are closed, the challengers shall be assigned a position in the polling room as near to the Board of Supervisors of Elections as practicable, so that they can see every person who offers to vote. From the time the polls close until the returns are finally made up and all the work of the election completed, the challengers and watchers have the right to take such position as will enable them to see everything that is done and how it is done. 50-11 Conduct Of Challengers And Watchers In Polling Room It shall be unlawful for any challenger or watcher to inquire or ascertain for whom any voter desires to vote or has voted, or to confer in the polling room with any voter, or to assist a voter in the preparation of the ballot or in the operation of the voting machine. Challengers and watchers shall not interfere with or obstruct the Board of Supervisors of Elections in the proper performance of their duties. Whenever a challenger or watcher does any of these prohibited acts, the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall exclude that challenger or watcher from the polling room. 50-12 Other Challengers Persons other than challengers who desire to challenge the vote of any person inside the polling room are permitted by law to enter the room for such purpose. The majority of the members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, however, may limit the number of persons allowed in the room for such purpose, and any person who enters the room for such purpose must leave it as soon as the right to vote of the person challenged has been decided. 50-13 Challenged Voters The challenger shall be required to state under oath the reasons for the challenges. The voter challenged shall be sworn and questioned before he or she enters the voting booth to cast his or her ballot. If a majority of the members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections are of the opinion that the voter is the person who was registered, his or her vote shall be received. The Board of Supervisors of Elections, at the time of the election, are not entitled or empowered to question whether the voter was or was not entitled to be registered. Under the Constitution of the State of Maryland, the fact that the voter has registered is, so far as the Board of Supervisors of Elections is concerned, conclusive of his or her right to vote; their business is simply to satisfy themselves that the person offering to vote is the person who registered. 50-14 Violations And Penalties Any person that violates any of the sections of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor subject to the penalties provided in § 1-14.B.5.d of the Town Code. HISTORY Amended by Ord. 13-2024 Amended Penalty Sections throughout the Code on 1/2/2025 Adopted by Res. 19-2024 Establishing certian fines to be paid to the Town of Centreville for Municipal Infractions pursuant to the Authority set forth in the Town of Centreville Charter and Code of the Town of Centreville on 1/2/2025