New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 9 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT › Subtitle V - State Board of Elections › Part 6210 - Routine Maintenance and Testing of Voting Systems, Operational Procedures, and Standards for Determining Valid Votes › Section 6210.7 - Ballots

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a) For the
				production of paper ballots or ballot faces for DRE voting systems, the county
				board shall contract with a printer or use in-house print services that have
				the requisite expertise, staff, an d equipment for printing ballots of the
				complexity and in the volume require d for the conduct of elections in that
				county, and that ensures delivery of finished ballots in time to comply with
				the relevant provisions of the Election Law and the election
				calendar.
(b) Detailed
				specifications for production of ballots shall be supplied to the county board
				by the voting system vendor. These shall include but not be limited to
				particulars of the system's ballot such as weight, grain and color of stock;
				dimensions of ballot faces, ballots and ballot cards; corner cuts;
				perforations, both for ballot boundaries and for stub boundaries, when
				appropriate; ballot positions, sensitive areas and voting targets; pre- marks
				for imprinting of ballot configuration information; printing registration and
				tolerances; ink; use of drying powder; and packaging of printed ballots for
				shipment and for storage until time of use. The county board shall transmit
				these specifications to the printer chosen to produce its ballots.
(c) In the first year that the voting system
				is in use, a copy of the final form and arrangement of each ballot
				configuration shall be filed with the State Board.
(d) Ballots shall be identified by ballot
				configuration, using marks which are machine readable and human readable text.
				A sheet of ballot paper becomes a ballot when the contents of the ballot are
				printed thereon.
(e) Ballots to be
				used with poll site optical scan voting systems, shall be in a form consistent
				with Election Law. Each ballot shall have a numbered stub which can be
				separated from it along a perforated boundary. Such ballot shall be detached
				from the numbered stub prior to the election inspector giving the ballot to the
				voter and be retained by the county board in a manner consistent with
				election-related document retention requirements. Ballot stubs, however, shall
				not be required if the board of elections implements procedures to provide for
				ballot accountability equivalent to the use of ballot stubs as provided for in
				in sub division 6210.10 (b) of this Part.
(1)
				The ballot stubs, when required, shall be sequentially numbered, and shall
				include the date of the election, the political subdivision in which the ballot
				is valid, and in a primary election, the name of the party conducting the
				primary, and further, stubs may be color coded, to correspond to
				same.
(2) Ballot stubs, when
				required, shall include spaces for inspectors to indicate with their initials,
				whether the ballot was used for affidavit or emergency purposes.
(3) Ballots shall be bound in packages of
				100, or in such other increments as a county board may, by written procedure, deem appropriate. When ballot stubs are used, binding shall be by staples, to
				help ensure ballot accountability. Packages of ballots not requiring ballot
				stubs shall be shrink wrapped or otherwise sealed in a heat-sealed or gummed
				bag with a cover.
(4) Ballot
				packages shall have a cover, on which shall be printed the date of the
				election, the political subdivision in which the ballot package shall be valid,
				the number of ballots therein, the sheet number of a ballot when it is part of
				a multiple sheet ballot, the range of sequential ballot stub numbers contained
				therein, if applicable, and such other administrative information as the
				county board may deem necessary. In primary elections, booklet covers shall
				include the name of the party conducting a primary, and may be color coded, to
				correspond to same.
(5) When more
				than one ballot package is to be used in any election district, a transmittal
				sheet shall accompany the packages, which shall specify how many packages are
				included [in the inspector supply bag], the number of ballots in total and the
				complete range of sequential ballot stub numbers for that district, if
				applicable, and shall further provide a space or spaces for inspectors to
				confirm receipt of all ballots.
(6)
				Ballot packages and any transmittal sheet, shall be delivered to inspectors
				with other election day supplies, in a separate, secure, sealed and labeled
				container, envelope or pouch.
(7)
				Only one ballot package at a time should be on the inspector table, and the
				remaining booklets shall be kept in their secure container, envelope or
				pouch.
(8) Upon opening a package
				of ballots that are not stubbed, the inspectors shall count the number of
				ballots in such package to ensure it is the number indicated on the coversheet.
				When all ballots in a package have been used, leaving only the cover and the
				stapled pad of stubs, in the case of ballots that are stubbed, such package
				shall be returned to the ballot package container/ envelope/pouch and the next
				appropriately numbered ballot package shall be removed for use.
(9) After the close of polls, the transmittal
				sheet shall be completed by the inspectors, indicating which packages were
				completely used, partially used, or not used. The ballot package container/
				envelope/pouch shall be sealed and returned to the county board with all other
				election day supplies.