1306                             Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 739

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.

257.   Duplicate Ballots. Every Absentee Resident who complies
with the provisions 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 purposes, be as
valid and effective as State Absentee Ballots received 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 man-
ner and at the same time as said State Absentee Ballots are counted,
certified and canvassed; provided, however, that if any such Board
receives from the same person prior to the closing of the polls on
election 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 Envelope 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.

258.    Contests and Appeals. Contests concerning registration,
voting or the validity of any ballot under this sub-title shall be
decided by the Board having jurisdiction of the matter. No regis-
tration shall be denied and no ballot rejected except by the unani-
mous vote of said Board. Any candidate or Absentee Resident
aggrieved 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 completion of the official canvass by any Board
of all the votes cast at any election and shall be heard de novo and
without a jury by said Court as soon as possible. There shall be a
further right of appeal to the Court of Appeals, provided such
appeal shall be taken within five days from the date of the decision
of the lower Court complained of, and all such appeals shall be
heard and decided on the original papers, including a typewritten
transcript of the testimony taken in such cases, by the Court of
Appeals, as soon as possible after the same have been transmitted
to said Court. Said original papers, including the testimony shall
be transmitted to the Court of Appeals within ten (10) days from
the taking of the appeal.

259.   General Powers. The Secretary of State and the Boards are
hereby severally authorized and empowered to do any and all acts,
the carrying out of which is committed to them by any Act of
Congress providing for voting by persons who are Absentee Resi-
dents, and to accept and expend any funds made available to him
or them or to the State of Maryland by Congress for the purpose
of defraying the costs and expenses incurred in connection there-