BBV - Urgent Tennessee Vote Count Question

[harmonyguy]

Does anyone know the Tennessee rules on when the counting of Absentee and/or Early Ballots can begin?

Can they count prior to election-day, or do they need to wait until election day, or do they need to wait until polls close on election day?

Are the rules state-wide or do they vary by county?

If anyone knows this info and can let me know right away, I'd be VERY grateful.

HG

[ParanoidPat]

1. From Tennessee code.....

.....available at http://www.lawresearch.com/v2/statute/statstate.htm#elections :evilgrin: Check sub section (e) at the end. :)

http://198.187.128.12/tennessee/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=fs-main.htm&2.0



2-6-304. Procedure of counting board.

(a) (1) The absentee ballot counting board shall unlock and open each ballot box in the presence of a majority of the judges and break the seals upon verification that the numbers are the same. All of the sealed absentee ballot envelopes with attached affidavits and early voting ballots shall be removed from the respective ballot boxes. If there is no challenge to a ballot, the counting board shall tear the affidavit from the absentee ballot envelope leaving the envelope sealed. All affidavits so removed shall be gathered together and placed in envelopes provided for that purpose for each election being held.
(2) A majority of the counting board officials shall certify the envelopes for each precinct in substantially the following form:



Affidavits removed from sealed absentee ballots of ________ absent voters who voted in the ______ precinct in the ________ election on the ______ day of __________, 20 _, in ________ County, State of Tennessee. We hereby certify that we have sealed this envelope before opening any of the sealed absentee ballot envelopes containing ballots.


________________________________ _________________________________

Name and Title Name and Title


________________________________ _________________________________

Name and Title Name and Title

(b) If any absentee ballot is rejected for any reason by the administrator of elections or by the counting board, such absentee ballot envelope shall not be opened nor its affidavit removed, but it shall be marked "Rejected" across its face with the reasons for rejection written on it and signed by each official who rejected it. It shall then be placed in the container of rejected absentee ballots. A list shall be made of such rejected ballots, and the administrator shall notify the voters by mail of the rejection.

(c) The counting board official shall then open the sealed absentee ballot envelopes, remove the absentee ballots and count and record the absentee ballot votes and the early voting ballot votes. In no event may the votes for any candidate be totaled until after all polls in the county are closed.

(d) When a counting board receives ballots which the county election commission received on election day before the close of the polls, it shall write on the voter's duplicate permanent registration record that the voter has voted absentee in the election and record the voter's name on the absentee poll book. At the close of the polls the counting board shall make a certificate for such ballots substantially in the form of the certificate required by subsection (a).

(e) If a county election commission authorizes the use of a mechanical or electronic voting machine for early voting, the commission shall remove the vote totals according to rules promulgated by the coordinator of elections. Votes must be removed from the machines in such a manner so that no vote totals can be associated with any candidate at the time of removal. In addition, the election commission shall be required to provide notice to all candidates and political parties of the place and time when the vote totals will be removed from those voting machines. In no event may the votes for any candidate be totaled until after all polls in the county are closed.

(f) Not later than thirty (30) days after an election, the chair of the county election commission shall certify the results of absentee balloting to the state election coordinator. Failure to so certify shall be grounds for removal from office under the provisions of title 8, chapter 47.

[harmonyguy]

2. Thanks Pat - you lifesaver you!

Exactly what I needed. I'll email you some additional info privately - is your email still the same as before?
HG

[ParanoidPat]

3. Yes sir!

:hi:

[harmonyguy]

4. Just sent - Thanks again. nt