(1) The county clerk may employ personnel as necessary to open envelopes, handle ballots, prepare ballots for counting and count ballots. The personnel may not all be members of the same political party. A candidate on the ballot at an election, other than an incumbent candidate for county clerk, or a person who is a member of the household, spouse, domestic partner, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sibling, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, stepparent or stepchild of any candidate on the ballot may not be employed and may not serve as a volunteer in the capacity described in this section.

(2) As used in this section, ‘member of the household’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 244.020. [1999 c.410 § 41; 2009 c.511 § 10; 2023 c.266 § 1]