Once the ballot box has been locked by the precinct board [election board] after its first count and tally, no person shall open the ballot box or remove its contents except by court order or as otherwise provided by the Election Code.
History: 1953 Comp., § 3-13-15, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 317; 2015, ch. 145, § 70.
ANNOTATIONSBracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.
Laws 2019, ch. 212, § 283, effective April 3, 2019, provided that references in the Election Code to "precinct board", shall be deemed to be references to "election board", as that term is defined in Section 1-1-13 NMSA 1978.
Cross references. — For unlawful opening of ballot box, see 1-20-4 NMSA 1978.
The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, required a court order to open a ballot box once the ballot box has been locked by the precinct board after its first count and tally; and after "contents except", deleted "as" and added "by court order or as otherwise".
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 29 C.J.S. Elections § 226.