HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 1555

The War Ballot Commission shall have full and complete
authority to make rules and regulations governing cases for
which no provisions have been made in this sub-title.

131. The Secretary of State shall open all Return Envel-
opes, State and Federal, as soon as received by him, shall with-
draw therefrom the Ballot Envelopes and shall immediately
transmit such Ballot Envelopes unopened, unmarked and un-
changed in any way, in packages sealed by him, to the Board
named on the outside of said State Return Envelopes and to
the appropriate. Board disclosed by the address of the Absen-
tee Resident on the Federal Ballot Envelope. The Secretary
of State shall require each Board receiving from him Ballot
Envelopes to give him a receipt showing the date of such deliv-
ery and the number of Ballot Envelopes delivered.

If a State or Federal Ballot Envelope is delivered to the
wrong Board, such Board shall immediately send said Bal-
lot Envelope unopened, unmarked and unchanged in any way
to the proper Board.

All Return Envelopes, both State and Federal, received
by the Secretary of State after the date of any election shall
be preserved by him for six months and then destroyed, unless
prior to that time he be ordered by a court of competent
jurisdiction to keep the same for any longer period. The
receipts given the Secretary of State by the several Boards
shall be also kept by him for the same period.

132. Upon receipt by a Board at any time prior to the
closing of the polls on election day of a State or Federal
Ballot Envelope from an Absentee Resident, said Board shall
forthwith determine whether such Absentee Resident is al-
ready registered as a voter. If such Absentee Resident is reg-
istered, his Absentee Ballot shall be safely kept by the Board
and counted and canvassed at the proper time as in this
sub title provided. If the Board shall determine that such
Absentee Resident is not registered or if the Board is unable
to determine whether such Absentee Resident is or is not
registered, said Board shall accept the information, set forth
in his duly executed oath on the said Ballot Envelope, as
prima facie accurate and correct, and if such information
discloses that said Absentee Resident is (a) a citizen of the
United States, (b) will be twenty-one years or older on the
day of the election for which said ballot is offered, (c) has.
been a resident of Maryland for a year preceding said elec-
tion, (d) has been a resident for 6 months preceding the
day of said election of the election district or ward in which
his residence in Maryland is located, and (e) is not dis-
qualified to vote by the commission of crime, said Board shall
register such Absentee Resident, and shall then safely keep