Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 950 CMR - OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH › Title 950 CMR 53.00 - Voting And Counting Procedures For Voting Machines › Section 53.04 - After The Polls Close

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Votes Counted Continuously
. The tabulation of the
			 votes shall take place in the polling place. The tabulation shall continue
			 without interruption until all the votes are counted and the results are
			 announced.
(2)
Public
			 May Observe Counting
. The general public must be allowed inside
			 the polling place after the polls close. The public must observe from outside
			 the guard rail. Only election officers may touch voting machines. All voting
			 machines must be kept in full view of the public while the counting is going
			 on.
(3)
Take Count of
			 Voters
. The election officer in charge of the voting list shall
			 count audibly and distinctly the number of names checked and shall announce the
			 total number. The clerk shall record the number.
(4)
Clerk Shall Record Final
			 Ballot Box Register Number in Election Record
.
(5)
Read and Record the Number on
			 the Public Counter
. Election officers shall read and record the
			 number on the public counter. The number, less any subtraction for machine
			 failure, shall be recorded on the total precinct tally sheet.
(6)
Read and Record the Number on
			 the Protective Counter
. The election officers shall read off the
			 number on the protective counter. The clerk shall record the final protective
			 counter number on the proper key envelope.
(7)
Number of Voters Should Equal
			 the Total of the Votes
. The total number of voters checked in on
			 the voting list should equal the sum of the number of votes recorded on the
			 voting machine public counters (less any subtraction for machine failure) and
			 the number of absentee ballots cast. The clerk shall note any discrepancies due
			 to machine failure or other circumstances in the clerk's Election
			 Record.
(8)
Seal
			 Checked Voting Lists in Envelope
. After tallying the voting list,
			 an election officer shall place the tallied voting list in the envelope
			 provided for that purpose. Election officers shall seal the envelope. The
			 warden and clerk shall sign the certificate. This envelope shall be kept
			 separate.
(9)
Open the
			 Voting Machines and Record the Results on Tally Sheets
.
(a)
AVM Printomatic
			 Machines
.
1.
Remove
			 the Printer Pack
. The election officers shall remove the printer
			 pack from the machine. They shall tear off the original copy of the printer
			 pack and give it to the clerk. The second copy may be posted for the public to
			 examine.
2.
Read the
			 Results Out Loud
. One election officer shall read the counter
			 results out loud from the printer pack copy. The officer shall read the number
			 and letter of each voter counter and the number of votes recorded.
3.
Record Numbers on the Total
			 Tally Sheet
. As each number of votes is read aloud, it shall be
			 recorded on the total tally sheet, one machine pack at a time, less any
			 subtraction because of an initial non-zero reading under
			 950 CMR
			 52.02(15), by an election
			 officer of a different political party than the reader.