Poll clerk initials on secrecy envelopes; standards to define a vote

Sec. 28.7. (a) The two (2) poll clerks of each precinct shall place their initials in ink on the secrecy envelope of a ballot card (or on the fold-over part of a ballot card described in section 18(b)(1) of this chapter) at the time the card is issued to a voter. The initials must be in the poll clerk's ordinary handwriting or printing and without a distinguishing mark of any kind.

(b) This subsection is enacted to comply with 52 U.S.C. 21081 by establishing uniform and nondiscriminatory standards to define what constitutes a vote on an optical scan voting system. A write-in vote cast on a secrecy envelope or fold-over envelope:

(1) is not valid unless:

(A) the secrecy envelope is initialed by both poll clerks; and

(B) the vote includes both the name of the write-in candidate and the office for which the write-in vote is cast; and

(2) makes the secrecy envelope or fold-over envelope a ballot for purposes of this title.

As added by P.L.4-1991, SEC.108. Amended by P.L.3-1993, SEC.169; P.L.3-1997, SEC.323; P.L.176-1999, SEC.87; P.L.209-2003, SEC.159; P.L.221-2005, SEC.83; P.L.128-2015, SEC.191.