HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 17

votes cast at the regular voting places in this State at
any election, the several Boards shall meet at the usual
place for holding the Circuit Court for the County or in
Baltimore City at the usual place for holding the Superior
Court and shall there first register all Absentee Residents
entitled thereto and not previously registered, and such regis-
tration shall be deemed to have been made on the day of said
election and prior to the casting of their votes by such Absen-
tee Residents. Immediately after completing such registration,
said several Boards shall proceed to count, certify and canvass
the ballots contained in the Ballot Envelopes, received by them
from the Secretary of State as hereinbefore provided, at any
time prior to the closing of the polls on election day. When-
ever any Board shall determine from proof or investigation
that any person who has marked and transmitted an Absentee
Ballot, whether under Act of Congress or the provisions of
this sub-title, has died before election day, said Board shall not
count the ballot of said deceased voter, but it shall be pre-
served by said Board for six months and may then be de-
stroyed, unless prior to that time the Board be ordered by a
court of competent jurisdiction to keep the same for any longer
period. Unless at or prior to the time of such counting and
canvassing the Board shall have determined that the Absentee
Resident who marked a ballot had died before election day,
said ballot shall be counted, and the fact that said Absentee
Resident may later be shown to have been actually dead on
election day shall not invalidate said ballot or said election. If
said Board determines that said Absentee Resident voted in
person at said election, his Absentee Ballot shall not be
counted.

If said Boards determine 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 sub-title
in any precinct or election district or ward of their respective
County or City, as the case may be, 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
or ballot boxes prepared for that purpose. The Board shall
not open or unfold any Absentee Ballot at any time prior to
counting the same. 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
"V. M." to indicate that the vote has been by mail. If there be
more than one ballot in the Ballot Envelope, all shall be re-
jected. State or Federal "Absentee Ballots" may be marked
by any kind of pencil or ink. All Absentee Ballots shall be