The purpose of this Article is to establish a system of absentee voting for New Carrollton municipal elections, to prescribe the conditions under which absentee ballots may be cast and to specify the procedures required to permit absentee voting.
Residents of the City who are qualified voters and are registered to vote in elections of the City of New Carrollton shall have the right to vote by absentee ballot in elections as provided for in this Article.
Any qualified voter who is blind, has impaired vision or is physically disabled and is, for one of these reasons, unable to mark their absentee ballot and sign the required oath may be assisted in voting by any person selected by the voter. Any person rendering assistance to a voter pursuant to this section shall execute a certification that he or she is rendering assistance at the voter's request without any attempt to influence the voter in any manner.
This Article applies to all general and special City elections.
A. 
A qualified registered voter desiring to vote in any City election as an absentee voter shall make application, in writing, to the Board for an absentee ballot, which application must be received by the Board no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the election.
B. 
The application shall contain an affidavit which shall set forth the following information under penalty of perjury:
(1) 
The voter's name and residence address, including the street number.
(2) 
That the person is a qualified voter at the residence address given.
Printed applications for absentee ballots shall be provided by the Board and shall be available to anyone upon request. The applications shall conform with the requirements of this Article.
A. 
Rejection of application. Upon receipt of an application containing the affidavit, the Board shall reject the application only if, upon a majority vote of the entire Board, the Board determines, upon inquiry, that the applicant is not legally qualified to vote in the election as an absentee voter. When an application for an absentee ballot is rejected, the Board shall notify the applicant of the reason therefor.
B. 
Delivery of ballot. If the applicant is a qualified registered voter as stated in his or her affidavit, the Board shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, deliver to him or her an absentee ballot.
C. 
Record of applications received and ballots delivered.
(1) 
The Board shall keep a record of applications for absentee ballots as they are received, showing the date and time received and the names and residences of the applicants, and such record shall be available for examination by any registered voter.
(2) 
After approval of an application for an absentee ballot, the voter's record card shall be appropriately and clearly marked to assure that no such voter shall be allowed to vote in person at the polling place.
D. 
One (1) ballot to an applicant. Not more than one (1) absentee ballot shall be mailed to any one (1) applicant unless the Board has reasonable grounds to believe that the absentee ballot previously mailed has been lost, destroyed or spoiled.
A. 
Printing of ballots and instructions. In sufficient time prior to any election, the Board shall have printed an adequate number of absentee ballots with instructions to absentee voters.
B. 
Form of ballots. The ballots shall contain the words "Absentee Ballot" printed in large letters in a clear space on the top of the ballot. Underneath these words shall be printed the following warning: "Mark ballot by placing an X in the proper blank after each candidate or question. Do not erase or make any other mark."
C. 
Affidavit required. Each absentee voter shall sign the oath of absentee voter which is part of the application and return it to the Board.
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 canvass of the votes cast at the regular voting place in the City at any election, the Board 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 majority vote of the entire Board in accordance with § 50-22. All voter's applications, affidavits, certifications, ballot envelopes and ballots shall be kept separate and apart from ballots cast at the regular voting place and retained for not less than six (6) months after the date of the 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.
C. 
Partial invalidation of ballots. Any absentee ballot which casts a vote for a person who has ceased to be a candidate or for a person who does not meet the qualifications of the office for which he or she has received the vote shall not be counted for such person, but such vote shall not invalidate the remainder of the ballot.
D. 
Voter dying before Election Day. Whenever the Board shall determine from proof or investigation that any person who has marked and transmitted or deposited in person with the Board an absentee ballot, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, has died before Election Day, said Board shall not count the ballot of said deceased voter, but it shall be preserved by the Board for six (6) months and may then be destroyed, unless prior to that time the Board is ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction to keep the same for any longer period. If at or prior to the time of such counting and canvassing the Board shall not have determined that the absentee voter who marked a ballot had died before Election Day, said ballot shall be counted, and the fact that said absentee voter may later be shown to have been actually dead on Election Day shall not invalidate the ballot or the election.
E. 
Placing ballot in ballot box and entry in registry; more than one (1) ballot in envelope; marking ballots. If the Board determines that the provisions for filling out and signing the oath on the outside of the ballot envelope have been substantially complied with and that the person signing the voter's oath is entitled to vote under this chapter and has not already voted therein on Election Day, they shall open the ballot envelope and remove the ballot therefrom and place it in a ballot box prepared for that purpose. When any ballot envelope is opened, the Board shall enter in the appropriate register the fact that the voter whose name appears thereon has voted, using the initials "A.B." to indicate the vote has been by absentee ballot. If there is more than one (1) ballot in the ballot envelope, all shall be rejected. Absentee ballots may be marked by any kind of pencil or ink.
F. 
More than one (1) ballot received from same person. If any Board receives from the same person prior to the closing of the polls on Election Day more than one (1) absentee ballot, it shall count, certify and canvass only the absentee ballot contained in the ballot envelope on which the voter's oath was first executed, and if the oath on two (2) or more of the ballot envelopes containing absentee ballots are dated the same or if both are undated, none of the ballots received from such person shall be counted.