1134 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 656

of these envelopes and deliver them to the respective parties
to whom they are addressed at the time hereinafter mentioned.

The Judges and Clerks of Election shall put back in the
ballot boxes used at said election the ballots taken there-
from, and shall seal said ballot boxes by pasting a strip of
paper over the slit, upon which slip the Judges and Clerks
of Election shall sign their names so that the boxes may not
be opened without destroying said seal. The ballot boxes con-
taining the ballots shall be kept by the Supervisors of Election
for thirty days from the date of said election, unless there is a
recount, in which case they shall be kept until said recounting
is finally concluded. After the thirty days has elapsed, or the
recount has been concluded, the Supervisors of Election shall
open said ballot boxes and destroy said ballots.

The Mayor and Common Council shall on the first Wednes-
day after each election held under the provisions of this Act,
convene to receive the returns of election. When said meet-
ing has been called to order, the Supervisors of Election shall
attend and present to the Mayor and to the Town Clerk and
Treasurer the returns of election respectively addressed to
them. The Mayor and Common Council shall then examine
said returns and if they find them to be signed by all the
Judges and Clerks of Election, and identical, they shall can-
vass them and declare those persons elected who shall appear
from the face of the returns to have received the highest num-
ber of votes for the various offices voted for, and shall issue
certificates of election to said persons. In case any proposi-
tion or question other than the election of an officer shall have
been submitted to the voters at said election, the Mayor and
Common Council shall in like manner declare whether or not
such proposition has been carried or defeated.

In case the returns are not signed by all the Judges and
Clerks of Election, or in case the two sets of returns are not
identical, the Mayor and Common Council shall consider such
returns and the statements, if any are accompanying them,
signed by the Election Officials refusing to sign the returns,
and they shall upon these papers determine which parties, if
any, are elected to the various offices, and shall issue certifi-
cates 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.

Any defeated candidate at such election may contest the
same and the Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's
County shall have jurisdiction to determine such contest, and
may adopt such modes of proceeding and adjudging costs in
cases of contested election as to him may seem most satis-