Mo. Rev. Stat. § 115.469 — MO Code / Chapter 115 / Section 115.469
115.469 Write-in votes, when counted — procedure to follow.
Status: in_force

115.469. Write-in votes, when counted — procedure to follow. — 1. If authorized by the election authority, the election judges at any polling place using an electronic voting system may read and record write-in votes before the close of the polls and may send other voted ballots to the counting place. If so authorized, the election judges shall use one ballot box for the deposit of ballots during the first five hours of voting. Between eleven o'clock in the morning and twelve noon, the receiving judges shall deliver the ballot box to the counting and recording judges, who shall give the receiving judges a second empty ballot box. The second ballot box shall be shown to be empty and locked in the manner provided in section 115.423 . The second ballot box shall not be opened or removed from public view from the time it is shown to be empty until the time the polls close. The ballot box containing the voted ballots shall be taken to a private area within the polling place, and the write-in votes shall be read and recorded in the manner provided in section 115.467 .

2. If early counting of write-in votes is begun pursuant to this section, the election judges shall, after counting and recording all proper write-in votes, separate all ballot cards, except defective ballot cards, from the write-in forms if any. The ballots which do not have write-in votes shall then be sent to the counting place in the same manner as ballots are sent upon the close of the polls. The election judges shall enclose the ballot cards, the envelope marked "DEFECTIVE BALLOTS", and all write-in forms containing proper votes, in a container designated by the election authority. The container shall be securely sealed in such a manner that if the container is opened, the seal will be broken beyond repair. On the outside of the container, the location of the polling place and the date of the election shall be printed. After sealing, the container shall be closely watched by the election judges until it is delivered to the counting location.

3. If early counting of write-in votes is begun pursuant to this section, the election authority shall appoint a team of employees or election judges who shall, between the hours of eleven o'clock in the morning and three o'clock in the afternoon, receive the ballot container from the election judges at the polling place and immediately deliver it to the counting location. Each team appointed pursuant to this subsection shall consist of two members, one from each major political party. If any ballot container is not sealed when it is delivered to the counting location, the election official receiving the container shall make a statement of the fact which includes the location of the polling place and the date of the election printed on the container and the reason the container is not sealed, if known.

4. After delivery to the counting location, any ballot which is damaged and cannot be properly counted by the automatic tabulating equipment may be handcounted or duplicated in the manner provided in subsection 3 of section 115.477 .

5. After delivery to the counting location, the proper votes on each ballot card may be transferred to magnetic tapes. Under no circumstances shall any such tape be read or interpreted until after the time fixed by law for the close of the polls and then only in the manner provided in section 115.477 .

6. Write-in ballots may also be counted as provided in section 115.451 .

(L. 1977 H.B. 101 § 12.053, A.L. 1979 S.B. 275, A.L. 1982 S.B. 526) Effective 5-20-82