WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 21

"Absentee Ballots" may be marked by any kind of pencil or
ink. AU 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.

143. 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
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 manner 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 con-
tained 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.

144- 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 registration
shall be denied and no ballot rejected except by the unanimous
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 b
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