Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 826 – Procedure for tabulating votes
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The following regulations outline the procedure for tabulating votes at an election in which voting machines are used. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).]
1. Counters exposed. As soon as the polls are closed, the warden shall unlock each machine to prevent further voting. The warden shall then open the counters on each voting machine so that anyone present can see the totals. If the machine is provided with a device for printing or photographing candidate and question counters, it is not necessary to open the door concealing the counters. The warden and an election clerk from a political party other than that of the warden shall proceed to operate the mechanism provided to produce a record of the votes cast on the candidate and question counters. This record may be considered an official statement or certificate of returns for that machine and may be endorsed, delivered and filed as required by the Secretary of State.
[RR 2019, c. 2, Pt. B, §68 (COR).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 826
- Candidate: means any person who has filed a petition under either sections 335 and 336 or sections 354 and 355 and has qualified as a candidate by either procedure, or any person who has received contributions or made expenditures or has given consent for any other person to receive contributions or make expenditures with the intent of qualifying as a candidate. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Declared write-in candidate: means a write-in candidate who has filed a declaration to be a write-in candidate pursuant to section 722?A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- may: when used in this Title, is used in a permissive sense to grant authority or permission, but not to create duty, to act in the manner specified by the context. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 7
- Party: means a political organization which has qualified to participate in a primary or general election under chapter 5. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Question: means any proposition submitted to the voters. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Referendum: means an election for the determination of a question. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Voting machine: means an apparatus on which voters cast their votes that records each vote by means of mechanical or electronic counters and furnishes a total of the number of votes cast for each candidate and for and against each referendum measure. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 808
- Warden: means the presiding officer at a voting place. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
2. Totals announced. The warden shall announce the total for each candidate in the order shown on the ballot label, for each referendum question and for each declared write-in candidate. As each total is read, it must be recorded by an election clerk from a political party other than that of the warden.
[PL 2009, c. 253, §55 (AMD).]
3. Totals checked. When all the totals for a voting machine have been read and recorded, the election clerk shall check the totals recorded by the election clerk with those appearing on the machine. If the totals do not agree, the election clerk shall record the number of the machine at the top of the column of totals recorded from it.
[RR 2019, c. 2, Pt. B, §69 (COR).]
4. Machine locked. After allowing any person to compare the record with the totals shown on the machine, the warden shall close and lock it with the totals remaining on it and proceed to tabulate the next machine in the same manner.
[PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).]
5. Paper ballots counted. After the totals for all voting machines have been recorded and checked, all absentee and other official paper ballots shall be counted.
[PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).]
6. Total announced. As soon as the paper ballots have been counted, the total vote for each candidate and on each referendum question shall be tabulated and the result announced by the warden.
[PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW). PL 2009, c. 253, §55 (AMD). RR 2019, c. 2, Pt. B, §§68, 69 (COR).