Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 721 - Secretary of State
Division II - Elections
Chapter 26 - Counting Votes
Rule 721-26.14 - Ballots With Identifying Marks
Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 6, September 18, 2024
The precinct election officials shall reject a ballot if the ballot includes an identifying mark. The following marks shall be considered to be identifying marks:
1. A comment or statement that indicates the identity of the voter either individually or as a member of a group.
2. Initials, a printed name or a signature placed on the ballot in any place other than on the lines intended for write-in votes or intended for the initials of the election official who issued the ballot.
If the ballot has an identifying mark, the precinct election officials shall mark the ballot "Defective due to identifying mark." The precinct officials in precincts where optical scan voting equipment is used shall tally the votes on all ballots with identifying marks. All of the precinct election officials shall sign the tally. They shall include the tally of ballots with identifying marks in the tally list. The officials shall return the ballots with identifying marks to the commissioner in the envelope or container for disputed ballots as required by Iowa Code section 50.5.
