Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 9 - Elections › 242a - Marksense Voting Tabulator › Section 9-242a-25 - Central counting of absentee ballots

Current through July 10, 2024
If registrars of voters choose to use an approved marksense
				voting tabulator to count absentee ballots at a central location, on election
				day the central counting officials shall deliver the voting tabulator, and at
				the times prescribed by law, absentee ballots, to the central counting place.
				The central counting officials shall examine the label on the tabulator to
				ensure that it is the correct tabulator for the central counting place. The
				central counting officials shall give the municipal clerk a receipt for the
				absentee ballots received and shall give the registrars a receipt for the
				tabulator. The central counting officials shall transport the absentee ballots
				and tabulator to the central counting place and shall immediately deliver them
				to the central counting moderator. The central counting moderator shall give
				the central counting officials a receipt and shall keep a copy for his records.
				The central counting officials and central counting moderator shall record the
				number on the seal, prepare the voting tabulator in the manner provided in
				section
				9-242a-9
				of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies and follow the instructions
				prescribed by the Secretary of the State. Before processing absentee ballots
				through the voting tabulator, the absentee ballot counters shall set aside for
				counting by hand those ballots which the Secretary of the State prescribes
				cannot be processed by the voting tabulator. The Secretary of the State shall
				prescribe the method for counting absentee ballots when a vacancy occurs after
				absentee ballots are issued. If an overvote message appears on the voting
				tabulator and there appears to be an overvote, the officials shall override the
				message and process the ballot with the overvote. If the voting tabulator
				rejects an absentee ballot as a blank ballot, the absentee ballot shall be
				counted by hand. The absentee ballots which are counted by hand shall be
				counted in accordance with the law governing counting absentee ballots and
				shall be sealed in depository envelopes. The absentee ballot counters shall
				record the result of the count of the handcounted absentee ballots on the
				separate record prescribed by law to be placed with the handcounted absentee
				ballots and report such result to the central counting moderator. The results
				of the voting tabulator processed absentee ballots shall be printed out at the
				close of the polls. The Secretary of the State shall prescribe the procedure to
				safeguard the voting tabulator and the voting tabulator processed absentee
				ballots on election, primary or referendum day, after each time prescribed for
				processing absentee ballots. The Secretary of the State may prescribe that on
				election, primary or referendum day, after the first time period prescribed for
				processing absentee ballots (1) the voting tabulator processed absentee ballots
				be removed and sealed in a labeled depository envelope, (2) the absentee
				ballots in the write-in bin be removed, the votes cast for the office in which
				the elector indicated a write-in vote be counted by hand and the ballots be
				sealed in a labeled depository envelope, (3) the public counter and seal on the
				tabulator be noted, (4) the registrars of voters store the tabulator in a
				secure location and (5) 14 days following the election the registrars return to
				the municipal clerk all sealed and labeled packages of absentee ballots. After
				the close of the polls, the absentee ballot counters shall unlock and remove
				all the ballots from the write-in bin. They shall count by hand the votes cast
				for the office in which the elector indicated a write-in vote. They shall
				record on the moderator's returns the write-in votes in accordance with the law
				governing write-in ballots. The absentee ballot counters shall seal the
				write-in ballots in a depository envelope marked "write-in" and place them in
				the ballot transfer case. Voting tabulator counted absentee ballots shall be
				placed in the ballot transfer case. The central counting moderator and absentee
				ballot counters shall follow the procedures prescribed by the Secretary of the
				State for shutting down the voting tabulator and producing the election results
				report. The central counting moderator and counters shall sign two copies of
				the election results report, attach one to the moderator's return and post one
				in the central counting location. The central counting moderator shall record
				on the moderator's return prescribed by the Secretary of the State the result
				of the count of the absentee ballots counted by hand and counted by voting
				tabulator. The central counting moderator shall announce the results of the
				absentee ballot vote for each candidate and question. No person shall make
				known the count of absentee ballots prior to the time for the closing of the
				polls. The central counting moderator shall follow the procedures prescribed by
				the Secretary of the State and return the keys, the tabulator, the ballot
				transfer case, the moderator's return with the election results report attached
				and other election materials to the registrars of voters. The registrars of
				voters will file the moderator's return with the municipal clerk by noon of the
				day following the primary or election. The registrars of voters shall store
				absentee ballots in a secure location for 14 days after which the ballots shall
				be given to the municipal clerk for the remaining storage
				period.