Current through 2024 Legislative Session
Section 16.1-15-08 - Wrapping and returning of ballots to county recorder - Ballots set aside to election official administering the election1. After generating the reports and poll lists provided for in section 16.1-15-06 for delivery to the county auditor, the election board shall wrap all ballots. The ballots and wrappers then must be secured tightly at the outer end to completely envelop and hold the ballots together. Ballots that are void must be secured in a separate wrapper and must be marked "void". Ballots that are spoiled must be secured separately and marked "spoiled". In sealing ballots, the various classes of ballots must be kept separate. Each wrapper must be endorsed with the names or numbers of the polling places, the precincts served by the polling places, and the date on which the election was held. The wrappers must be sealed securely in a manner prescribed by the county auditor so the wrappers cannot be opened without an obvious and permanent breaking of the seal. The ballots, together with those found void or spoiled, and the opened envelopes from voted absentee ballots and the unopened envelopes of absentee ballots rejected as defective, must be returned in person to the county recorder. At the meeting of the county canvassing board, the county auditor shall deliver the report of the ballots containing lawful write-in votes from all the precincts within the county if these votes are required to be canvassed according to section 16.1-15-01.1.2. Each ballot within a sealed envelope set aside for an individual as outlined in subsections 5 and 6 of section 16.1-01-04.1 must be delivered to the election official responsible for the administration of the election so the envelope containing the ballot is available if the individual for whom the ballot was set aside appears in the official's office to verify the individual's eligibility as an elector. The verified and unverified ballots set aside must be delivered to the members of the canvassing board for proper inclusion in or exclusion from the canvass of votes.Amended by S.L. 2023 , ch. 199( HB 1431 ), § 2, eff. 8/1/2023.Amended by S.L. 2021 , ch. 164( HB 1253 ), § 92, eff. 8/1/2021.Amended by S.L. 2019 , ch. 177( SB 2308 ), § 6, eff. 8/1/2019.Amended by S.L. 2017 , ch. 152( HB 1369 ), § 8, eff. 7/1/2017.Amended by S.L. 2011 , ch. 152( SB 2254 ), § 31, eff. 8/1/2011.