1432                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 690

same time as other absentee ballots, at anytime after the closing of
the polls.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 256 (a) of Article 33 of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1957 Edition and 1962 Supplement), title "Elections," sub-
title "Servicemen's Absentee Voting," be and it is hereby repealed
and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

256.

(a) Procedure.—[Immediately after the completion of the canvass
of the votes cast at the regular voting places in this State at any
election,] At any time after the closing of the polls and not later than
the canvass of the votes cast at the regular voting places in this
State at any election, the several boards shall meet at the usual
place for holding the circuit court for the county or in Baltimore
City at the offices of the supervisors of elections and shall there
first register all absentee residents entitled thereto and not pre-
viously 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 several boards shall proceed to count, certify
and canvass the ballots contained in the ballot envelopes, received
by them from the Secretary of State as hereinbefore provided, at
any time prior to the closing of the polls on election day. Whenever
any board shall determine from proof or investigation that any
person who has marked and transmitted an absentee ballot, whether
under act of Congress or the provisions of this subtitle, 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 ab-
sentee resident voted in person at said election, his absentee ballot
shall not be counted.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1963.

Approved April 30, 1963.

CHAPTER 690
(House Bill 943)

AN ACT to authorize and empower the County Commissioners of
Washington County to borrow an amount not to exceed Nine Mil-
lion Dollars ($9,000,000.00) and to issue notes and/or bonds there-
for, for the purpose of constructing new schools and making addi-