Sec 16-606. Tally and return of votes; lever voting machine

A. As soon as the polls of the election are closed, the judges and inspectors shall immediately lock and seal the voting machine against voting. The judges and inspectors shall then sign a certificate stating:

1. The machine has been locked against voting and sealed.

2. The number of voters as shown on the public counters.

3. The number of the seal.

4. The number registered on the protective counter.

5. The voting machine is closed and locked.

The judges and inspectors shall then open the counter compartment in the presence of the watchers and all other persons who are lawfully within the polling place, affording full view of all the counter numbers. Where machines equipped with a device or devices for printing, embossing or photographing the count as shown on the candidate and amendment counters are used it shall not be necessary for the judges or inspectors to open the counter compartments, unless the photographed or printed count is found illegible, in which case the judges of the election shall be privileged to open the counter compartment to verify the count, but the judges shall immediately post one of the printed, embossed or photographed records secured from such machine.

B. One of the election officers shall, under the scrutiny of the judge or inspector of a different political party, in the order of the officers as their titles are arranged on the machine, read and announce distinctly the designating number and letter on each counter for each candidate's name, the result as shown by the counter numbers, and shall read the votes recorded for each office on the irregular ballots. He shall also in the same manner announce the vote on each constitutional amendment, question, proposition or measure.

C. The counter shall not, in the case of presidential electors, be read consecutively along the party row column, but shall be read along the office columns or rows, completing the tally of each office. If a separate ballot in each party column or row entitled "presidential electors" is provided, a vote for such ballot shall operate as a vote for all candidates of such party for presidential electors.

D. The vote as registered shall be entered on the statements of tally in ink by two election officers of opposing political parties, but not including the inspector, in the same order on the space which has the same designating number and letter, after which the figures shall be verified by being called off in the same manner from the counters of the machine by an election officer of a political party opposing that of the inspector. The return of the tally shall then be filled out, showing the total number of votes cast for each candidate, as shown on his counter, and the number of votes for persons not nominated, and the statement shall be signed by each judge.

E. After proclaiming the vote, ample opportunity shall be given to any person lawfully present to compare the results so announced with the counter dials of the machine, and necessary corrections shall then be made by the board.

F. If write-in votes have been cast they shall be tallied and added to the regular votes cast, and the paper roll containing the write-in votes shall be preserved as regular paper ballots.

G. The judge or inspector filing the returns shall deliver to the board or officer from whom they were received the keys of the voting machine enclosed in a sealed envelope which shall have endorsed thereon a certificate of the election officers stating:

1. The number of the machine.

2. The election precinct where it has been used.

3. The number of the seal.

4. The number of the protective counter.

H. If the machine or machines are equipped with a device or devices for printing, embossing or photographing the count as shown on the candidate and amendment counters, the judges of elections shall obtain not less than three copies of such printed, embossed or photographed record and shall immediately post one copy in the polling place as provided in subsection A and shall after preparation of the statement of tally attach one of the printed, embossed or photographed records to the official statement of tally, and the remaining copy shall be attached to the unofficial statement of tally.