Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 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.
(f) The county board shall cause its
respective printer(s) to certify to the county board, upon delivery of ballots
ordered:
(1) the actual number of ballots
printed;
(2) the number of ballots
delivered; and
(3) that all other
ballots printed have been destroyed
The county board shall inventory all ballots and ensure the
security of any and all ballots while they are in the possession of the county
board.
(g) For
central count paper-based voting systems, ballots printed for absentee voting,
and those printed for emergency, special and affidavit purposes shall be
tabulated by batch, and be subject to all appropriate pro- visions of these
regulations. The county board shall provide a means by which affidavit,
emergency, and special ballots shall be distinguished from absentee
ballots.
(h) Ballots With Multiple
Sheets. A board of elections may provide a voter a ballot consisting of more
than one separate, unconnected sheets, provided:
(1) The ballot includes a statement that the
voter must receive the number of ballot sheets the voter is entitled to,
specifying such number. Such notice may be substantially in the following form:
"Your ballot consists of (here insert the total number of sheets comprising the
ballot) separate sheets. All of the sheets must be provided to you at the same
time."
(2) Each ballot sheet shall
be prominently labeled as "ballot sheet (here insert the number of the ballot
sheet) of (here insert the total number of sheets comprising the
ballot)
(3) Ballot accountability
and reconciliation procedures shall apply to each sheet of a multiple sheet
ballot. Each sheet of a multiple sheet ballot may be spoiled without spoiling
another sheet comprising the same multiple sheet ballot.
(i) Ballots Printed on Demand
(1) Ballot on demand printers and supplies
shall be secured a s provided by the procedures of the State Board of
Elections.
(2) Inspectors shall
keep a record of the number of ballots of each ballot style printed by a ballot
on demand printer. Such ballots shall be considered delivered to the inspectors
at the time of printing, and the inspectors shall record the distribution of
such ballots in the same manner as provided for in this section. Logs
maintained by the ballot on demand printer application may be used by the
inspectors to meet the requirements of this paragraph to record the number of
ballots printed.
