Section 47.13 - Designation of Central Tabulation Facility(1) A city or town may determine to tally early voting ballots at a central tabulation facility. (a)Determination to Use a Central Tabulation Facility. The local election official shall designate any central tabulation facility at least 21 days before Election Day and notice of such determination must be sent within two business days to the Secretary. The central tabulation facility must be in compliance with accessibility regulations found at 950 CMR 51.00: Polling Place Accessibility for Elderly and Handicapped Voters.1. The notice shall contain the name and address of the approved early central tabulation facility and the time that the facility will open.2. If the city or town uses electronic voting equipment, the notice shall also contain a certification from the local election official that he or she understands that if the tabulator or tabulators used at the central tabulation facility fail or become unusable, all early voting ballots must be counted by hand.(b) There shall be at least one tabulator or counting unit at each such tabulation center, which must be tested in accordance with the provisions of 950 CMR 54.02: Testing.(c) The local election official shall designate sufficient staffing of election officers at the central tabulation facility for the orderly processing of early voting ballots.(d) The hours of operation of the central tabulation facility shall be set by the local election official. Central tabulation facilities may open as early as the polling places, but once open must remain open until the closing of the polls.(e) After the hour fixed for the closing of the polls, the central tabulation facility shall remain open for public viewing of the final tabulation of the early voting ballots.(f) Only early voting ballots received prior to Election Day can be processed at a central tabulation facility.(g) Any early voting ballots received on the day of the election shall be processed at the polls.(2) Each central tabulation facility must be open to the public for viewing the proceedings from behind a guard rail.Adopted by Mass Register Issue 1320, eff. 8/26/2016.