ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR.                  179

permit every person to vote at such election who shall be duly
qualified, and that he will not suffer any person to vote at such
election who shall not be legally qualified to vote. " And in
case of failure of any of the said person or persons to appear
and qualify, the Mayor shall issue a certificate to one or more
persons to act as such judge or clerk who shall qualify as above.
After the election they shall return to the clerk under their
hands the number of votes cast and for whom cast, who shall
file the same at once and issue a certificate of election to the
person or persons receiving the largest number of votes for
the respective offices, provided that for the first registration
and election held under this charter the present Commissioners
of Chestertown shall conduct the same in accordance with the
provisions of this Act. All elections provided for hereunder
shall be held at some place to be designated by the supervisors
and the polls shall be open between 9. 00 A. M. and 6. 00 P. M.
After the election has been completed and returns made,
the ballots shall be returned to the ballot boxes from which
they were removed. A paper seal with the signatures of the
judge and clerk thereon shall be pasted upon said ballot box
in such manner that the box cannot be opened without break-
ing said seal, and said box sealed as aforesaid shall then be
retained by the Supervisors of Election for a period of thirty
days, after which it may be opened and the ballots destroyed.
Provided, however, that if there be a contest of the election
said ballots shall not be destroyed until after the decision of
the Judge of the Circuit Court. Any candidate of said election
may contest the same and the Judge of the Circuit Court of
Kent County shall have jurisdiction to determine such con-
tests and may adopt such modes of procedure and adjudging
costs in cases of contested election as to him may seem most
satisfactory. No such contests shall, however, be considered
unless said petition is filed in the Circuit Court of Kent
County within seven days, exclusive of Sundays and legal
holidays, after the decision of the Mayor and Council of
Chestertown on said election shall be made.

93. In the event that there shall be a failure to make any
nomination for any one or more of the offices to be filled here-
under in accordance with the above provisions, then it shall
be lawful to nominate by filing a written statement of can-
didacy and nominating petition as aforesaid, by a candidate
or candidates, as the case may be, for such office or offices at
any time prior to the holding of said election.