372

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

and its contents so enclosed, and the other judge, who is also
an officer of registration, shall receive and hold the key
thereof, and the package of unused ballots sealed up by said
judges; each of said two judges shall take into his possession
one of the registers, and also one of the statements of the
votes cast, sealed up in its envelope as aforesaid, and also one of
the tally sheets, sealed up in an envelope as aforesaid, and the
meeting of the judges and clerks shall then be dissolved; before
twelve o'clock, noon, of the second day after said election, the
two judges so having custody thereof, shall deliver said ballot-
boxes, keys, packages of unused ballots, registers, statements of
votes cast and tally sheets to the proper officers in their respec-
tive counties, as hereinbefore prescribed for the city of Balti-
more, and shall take similar receipts for the same. It
shall be the duty of the supervisors of election in the several
counties and in said city to attend at their respective offices on
the days named for the purpose of carrying out the provisions
of this section.

Condition of
ballot-
boxes to be
noted.

71. The Board of Supervisors of Elections, upon receiving
a ballot-box and the key thereof, shall note the condition of the
seal or stamp on each box, and make an entry of the facts touch-
ing the same in a book to be kept by them, together with the
name of the officer who delivered the box. They shall deliver
all the ballot boxes so sealed, as aforesaid, to the clerks of the
Circuit Court for their respective counties, or to the Board of
Police Commissioners of Baltimore city, as the case may be,
who shall put them in a secure place, to which the public shall
in no case have access, and shall safely keep them for the space
of six months from the day of such delivery, at which time
unless previously notified to produce the same to be used in

To be kept
six months,

evidence in some contested election or judicial or legislative
.investigation then pending, the said Board of Supervisors shall,
in the presence of one or more judges of the Orphans' Court,
destroy said ballots and poll-books, also all of the said tallies,
including those delivered to the register of wills, and shall re-
cord in the same book a certificate of the fact signed by said
judge or judges.

CANVASSING BOARDS.

Boards of
canvassers.

72. It shall be the duty of the said County Commissioners,
clerks of court and Mayor, respectively, to keep safely under
lock and key the said original statements or returns until the
board of canvassers for the county or city, as the case may be,
shall have assembled and been organized according to law, as