Nevada Administrative Code › Chapter 293 - Elections › Section 293.Sec. 5.4 - NEW

Current through June 11, 2024
1. Before conducting a hand count of the
		  ballots voted in an election, the election board officers must prepare to count
		  the ballots in accordance with the requirements of
		  NRS
		  293.363.
2. After the ballots are prepared for
		  counting, the election board may use an electronic tabulator to calculate the
		  results of the tally of the votes cast in a contest on the ballot.
3. A hand count of the ballots must be
		  tallied at least twice by the hand count tally team appointed pursuant to
		  section 4 for each contest on the ballot that will be hand counted. The results
		  of each tally of the ballots for each contest must match exactly. If the
		  results do not match, the hand count must be conducted again until the results
		  match one of the previous tallies.
4. In addition to the requirements of
		  NRS
		  293.367 to
		  293.370, inclusive, each hand
		  count tally team shall process the ballots in the following manner:
(a) For a presidential preference primary
		  election, the ballots must be sorted by each major political party to be
		  tallied separately, with a tally form for each candidate listed on the ballot
		  for each respective political party.
(b) For a primary election, the ballots must
		  be sorted by political party and nonpartisan ballots to be tallied separately,
		  with a Republican tally form, a Democrat tally form and a nonpartisan tally
		  form.
(c) The ballots must be
		  divided into separate stacks containing not more than 25 ballots per stack.
		  Each stack must be tallied separately.
(d) Each tally clerk shall silently read to
		  themselves from each ballot the choice of the voter, as indicated by the
		  writing in the designated space on the ballot that indicates the voter's
		  intent, including, without limitation, a cross or check. After silently reading
		  each ballot, the tally clerk shall:
(1) Tally
		  the vote on the appropriate tally form, depending on whether the ballot has
		  been cast in a presidential preference primary, primary or general election. If
		  the election is a presidential preference primary election, the tallied votes
		  should be noted on the form for the applicable candidate for the applicable
		  political party. If the election is a primary election, the tallied votes
		  should be noted on the tally form for the applicable political party or the
		  nonpartisan tally form.
(2) Place a
		  short perpendicular hash mark on the tally form opposite the name of the
		  candidate or ballot question voted for the first through fourth vote for the
		  same candidate or ballot question.
(3) For every fifth vote for the same
		  candidate or ballot question, place a horizontal hash mark through the previous
		  four perpendicular hash marks.
(e) After tallying each ballot, the tally
		  clerk shall lay the ballot face down on the table to distinguish the counted
		  ballot from the uncounted ballots. After each stack of ballots is counted, the
		  tally clerk shall exchange the stack of tabulated ballots with the other tally
		  clerk on the hand count tally team. Once both tally clerks have counted a stack
		  of ballots, the reviewing clerk shall ensure the ballots are tied with a string
		  or bound with a paper clip, binder clip or rubber band in a stack of not more
		  than 25 ballots.
(f) The
		  verification clerk shall oversee the work of the two tally clerks to ensure
		  that the tally count matches the same stack of ballots. If the count of the
		  tally clerks:
(1) Matches, the tally must
		  continue.
(2) Does not match, the
		  reason for the discrepancy must be identified and corrected before the hand
		  count tally team may continue tallying.