Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                   1319

to an election, shall be entitled to register and vote, if before election
day, he delivers in person a written application to the Board, for a
ballot, ballot envelope and instructions, and marks the ballot, executes
the oath on the ballot envelope before any member of the Board, who
shall take the oath and witness the same, and leaves said ballot
envelope, with the ballot enclosed and sealed therein, with the Board
at its regular office. Thereafter the Board shall follow the same
procedure as to ballot envelope and ballots cast by any such honorably
discharged Absentee Resident, as is set forth in the other provisions
of this sub-title for ballot envelopes and ballots cast by other
Absentee Residents.

277. Procedure for Board. (a) Count of Ballots. Immediately
after the completion of the canvass of the votes cast at the regular
voting places in the City at any election, the Board shall meet in its
offices and shall there first register all Absentee Residents entitled
thereto and not previously registered, and such registration shall be
deemed to have been made on the day of said election and prior to
the casting of their votes by such Absentee Residents. Immediately
after completing such registration, said Board shall proceed to count,
certify and canvass the ballots contained in the Ballot Envelopes,
received by them, at any time prior to the closing of the polls on
election day. Whenever the Board shall determine from proof or
investigation that any person who has marked and transmitted an
Absentee Ballot, under the provisions of this sub-title, has died
before election day, said Board shall not count the ballot of said
deceased voter, but it shall be preserved by said Board for six months,
and may then be destroyed, unless prior to that time the Board be
ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction to keep the same for
any longer period. Unless at or prior to the time of such counting
and canvassing the Board shall have determined that the Absentee
Resident who marked a ballot had died before election day, said
ballot shall be counted, and the fact that said Absentee Resident
may later be shown to have been actually dead on election day shall
not invalidate said ballot or said election. If said Board determines
that said Absentee Resident voted in person at said election, his
Absentee Ballot shall not be counted.

(b) Keeping Ballots. If the Board determines that the provisions
for filling out and signing the oath on the outside of the Ballot
Envelope have been substantially complied with and that the person
signing the voter's oath is entitled to vote under this sub-title in any
precinct or election district or ward of the City, as the case may be,
and has not already voted therein on election day, they shall open
the Ballot Envelope and remove the ballot therefrom and place it
in a ballot box or boxes prepared for that purpose. The Board shall
not open or unfold any Absentee Ballot at any time prior to the
counting of same. When any Ballot Envelope is opened, the Board
shall enter in the appropriate register the fact that the voter whose
name appears thereon has voted, using the initials "V. M." to indi-
cate that the vote has been by mail. If there be more than one
ballot in the Ballot Envelope, all shall be rejected. Absentee 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