Sec. 679a.
(1) The election commission of a city or township shall, by resolution, provide that at an election at which the ballots are counted and certified at the precinct, 1 or more additional boards of election inspectors be appointed to serve as receiving boards. For a precinct having receiving boards, the board of election commissioners shall appoint a receiving board consisting of 2 or more election inspectors, with an equal number from each major political party, and shall appoint an equal number of election inspectors from each major political party.
(2) Not less than 2 election inspectors in a precinct, representing each of the major political parties, shall deliver to the receiving board for that precinct a sealed ballot container containing the voted ballots, and, in a separate sealed envelope, the poll book and statement of returns. The poll book and statement of returns may be enclosed in a single sealed envelope.
(3) The receiving board shall open the sealed envelope and review the poll book and statement of returns to determine both of the following:
(a) That the ballot container is properly sealed and the seal number is properly recorded in the poll book and the statement of returns. If the ballot container is not properly sealed or there is a discrepancy with the seal number recorded in the poll book or the statement of returns, the election inspectors who delivered the ballot container and the receiving board shall together take the necessary steps to correct the discrepancy. The election inspectors and the receiving board shall note the discrepancy and the corrective action in the remarks section of the poll book and all shall sign the notation.
(b) That the number of individuals voting recorded in the poll book equals the number of ballots issued to electors, as shown by the statement of returns. If the number of individuals voting as shown by the poll book does not equal the number of ballots counted as shown by the statement of returns, and if an explanation of the discrepancy has not been noted in the poll book, the receiving board shall ask the election inspectors about the discrepancy, note the explanation in the poll book, and all shall sign the notation.
(4) If the poll book or statement of returns has been erroneously sealed in the ballot container, the election inspectors may open the ballot container and remove the poll book or statement of returns. The elections inspectors and receiving board shall note the corrective action in the remarks section of the poll book and all shall sign the notation before placing the poll book or statement of returns in a separate sealed envelope. If the statement of returns was sealed in the ballot container and the poll book was sealed in an envelope, the poll book must be removed from the sealed envelope for the notation of corrective action to be recorded before placing the poll book and statement of returns in a sealed envelope. The receiving board shall notify the clerk of the board of canvassers responsible for canvassing all or a portion of the election of the corrective action taken.
(5) When the receiving board has completed the review under subsection (3), the receiving board shall place the poll book and statement of returns in the appropriate envelope, sealed with a red paper seal and initialed by the receiving board. If permitted by the clerk of the board of canvassers, the poll books and statement of returns from more than 1 precinct may be included and delivered in a single envelope.
History: Add. 2004, Act 256, Imd. Eff. July 23, 2004 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 271, Eff. Aug. 15, 2012 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 120, Eff. Dec. 31, 2018
Popular Name: Election Code