Missouri Laws 115.477 – Ballots, procedure for counting (electronic voting)
1. In each jurisdiction using an electronic voting system, all proceedings at the counting location shall be under the direction of the election authority. The election authority shall appoint two judges, one from each major political party, to be present and observe the count. The counting shall be open to the public, but no persons, except those employed and authorized for the purpose, shall touch any ballot, ballot container or return.
2. The automatic tabulating equipment shall produce a return showing the total number of votes cast for each candidate and on each question at each polling place and in the jurisdiction as a whole.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 115.477
- Automatic tabulating equipment: the apparatus necessary to examine and automatically count votes, and the data processing machines which are used for counting votes and tabulating results and which are air-gapped and not physically able to be connected to a network. See Missouri Laws 115.013
- Ballot: the paper ballot, or ballot designed for use with an electronic voting system on which each voter may cast all votes to which he or she is entitled at an election. See Missouri Laws 115.013
- Counting location: a location selected by the election authority for the automatic processing or counting, or both, of ballots. See Missouri Laws 115.013
- Electronic voting system: a system of casting votes by use of marking devices, and counting votes by use of automatic air-gapped tabulating or air-gapped data processing equipment, including computerized voting systems that mark or tabulate ballots. See Missouri Laws 115.013
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Major political party: the political party whose candidates received the highest or second highest number of votes at the last general election. See Missouri Laws 115.013
- Political party: any established political party and any new party. See Missouri Laws 115.013
- Polling place: the voting place designated for all voters residing in one or more precincts for any election. See Missouri Laws 115.013
- Question: any measure on the ballot which can be voted "YES" or "NO". See Missouri Laws 115.013
3. If any ballot is damaged and cannot be properly counted by the automatic tabulating equipment, it may be handcounted in the manner provided for absentee ballots, or a true duplicate copy may be made of the defective ballot. If any ballot contains a number of votes and write-in votes for any office which exceeds the number allowed by law, it may be handcounted in the manner provided for absentee ballots, a true duplicate copy be made which does not include the invalid votes or, at the discretion of the election judges, a self-adhesive removable label, sensitized, may be placed over any mark to allow the ballot to be processed through the automatic tabulating equipment. The duplication of each ballot shall be closely observed by two election judges or employees of the election authority, one from each major political party. Each duplicate ballot shall be clearly labeled “duplicate”, shall bear a serial number which shall be recorded on the defective ballot, and shall be counted in lieu of the defective ballot.