1558 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 934

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 rejected. State or Federal "Ab-
sentee Ballots" may be marked by any kind of pencil or ink.
All Absentee Ballots shall be kept separate and apart from
ballots cast at the regular voting places and retained for six
(6) months after the date of election at which they were cast,
unless prior to that time, the Board shall be ordered by a
Court of competent jurisdiction, to keep the same for any
longer period.

135. Every Absentee Resident, who complies with the pro-
visions of any Act of Congress providing for voting by them,
may vote at any election herein provided for and every ballot
marked and executed by any such person in accordance with
the provisions of any such Act of Congress and received by
any Board prior to the closing of the polls on election day for
which the same may be voted, shall, to all intents and pur-
poses, be as valid and effective as State Absentee Ballots re-
ceived and cast under the provisions of this sub-title, and all
such Federal War Ballots shall be received, counted, certified
and canvassed in the same manner and at the same time as
said State Absentee Ballots are counted, certified and can-
vassed; provided, however, that if any such Board receives
from the same person prior to the closing of the polls on elec-
tion day one or more State Absentee Ballots and one or more
Federal Absentee Ballots, it shall count, certify and canvass
only that State Absentee Ballot contained in the Ballot En-
velope on which the Voter's oath was first executed, and if the
oath on two or more of the Ballot Envelopes containing State
Absentee Ballots are dated the same or if both are undated,
none of the Ballots received from such person shall be counted;
and if only Federal Ballots have been voted by such person,
the same rule shall prevail.

136. Contests concerning registration, voting or the valid-
ity of any ballot under this sub-title shall be decided by the
Board having jurisdiction of the matter. No registration shall
be denied and no ballot rejected except by the unanimous vote
of said Board. Any candidate or Absentee Resident ag-
grieved by any decision or action of such Board shall have
the right of appeal to the Circuit Court for the County or to
the Superior Court of Baltimore City, as the case may be, to
review such decision or action, and jurisdiction to hear and
determine such appeals is hereby conferred upon said Courts.
Such appeals shall be taken by way of petition filed with the
appropriate Court within ten days from the date of the com-
pletion of the official canvass by any Board of all the votes cast