WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 583

shall canvass them and declare those persons elected who
appear from the face of the returns to have received the high-
est number of votes, and shall issue certificates of election
to said persons. In case any proposition or question other
than the election of an officer shall have been submitted to
the voters at said election, the Town Council shall in like
manner declare whether or not such proposition has been
carried or defeated.

43P. (Disagreement of Returns.) In case the returns are
not signed by all the deputy judges and clerks of election, or
in case the two sets of returns are not identical, the Town
Council shall consider such returns and the statements, if any
are accompanying them, signed by the election officials re-
fusing to sign the returns, and, if they deem it necessary,
make a recount of the ballots and they shall upon those papers
or recount, or both, determine which parties, if any, are
elected to the various offices, and shall issue certificates
according to their determination. They shall in like manner,
in case any proposition or question other than the election
of officials has been submitted to the voters at said election,
determine whether or not said proposition has been carried
or defeated.

43Q. (Election Contest.) Any defeated candidate at such
election may contest the same and the judge of the Circuit
Court of Prince George's County shall have jurisdiction to
determine such contest, and may adopt such modes of pro-
ceeding and adjudging costs in cases of contested election
as to him may seem most satisfactory, subject to the per-
tinent provisions of Section 55. No such contest shall,
however, be considered unless a petition is filed in the Circuit
Court for Prince George's County within seven days, ex-
clusive of Sundays and legal holidays, after the decision of
the Town Council of the Town of Bladensburg on said elec-
tion shall be made.

Any legally qualified voter who has voted at any election
in said town on any question submitted to the voters shall
have a similar right to contest the result of such election
to be exercised in a similar way.

43R. (Tie Vote in Election.) In the event of a tie vote
another election shall be held as soon as practicable to elect
one of the candidates so tied, limited, if for Councilman only,
to the ward in which the tie vote occurred. Such special
election shall be held in accord with the election provisions
of this charter so far as they are applicable.