§ 2546. Deposit of early voter absentee ballots in ballot box or vote tabulator
(a) Not earlier than 30 days before the opening of polls on election day, the town clerk may direct two election officials working together to do all of the following:
(1) open the outside envelope and sort early voter absentee ballots by ward and district, if necessary;
(2) determine that the certificate has been properly completed and signed;
(3) check the name of the early voter off the entrance checklist; and
(4) place the certificate envelopes into a secure container marked "checked in early voter absentee ballots" to be transported to the polling places on election day.
(b) The town clerk or presiding officer shall deliver the unopened early voter absentee ballots to the election officials at the place where the entrance checklist is located. Upon the opening of the polls on election day:
(1) If the ballots are in a container marked "checked in early voter absentee ballots," one election official shall open the certificate envelopes, turn the certificate side face down, and hand the envelope face down to a second election official from a different political party, who shall remove the ballots from the envelopes and deposit them in the ballot box or vote tabulator.
(2) If the ballots have not been previously checked off the entrance checklist and if two election officials, from different political parties, determine that the certificate on the envelope is properly completed and signed by the early voter, the name of the early voter appears on the checklist, and the early voter is not a first-time voter in the municipality who registered by mail and is marked on the checklist as requiring additional documentation, the election officials shall mark the checklist, open the certificate envelope, turn the certificate side face down, and hand the envelope face down to a third election official who shall remove the ballots from the envelopes and deposit the ballots in the ballot box or vote tabulator.
(3)(A) If the early voter is a first-time voter who registered by mail or online, two election officials from different political parties shall determine whether the identification required under subdivision 2563(1) of this title has been submitted by the voter. Upon ascertaining that the proper identification has been submitted by the voter, the election officials shall mark the checklist, open the certificate envelope, turn the certificate side face down, and hand the envelope face down to a third election official who shall remove the ballots from the envelopes and deposit the ballot in the ballot box or vote tabulator.
(B) If the proper identification has not been submitted, the ballot shall be treated as a provisional ballot, as provided in subchapter 6A of this chapter.
(c) All early voter absentee ballots shall be commingled with the ballots of voters who have voted in person. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 74; 2001, No. 6, § 12(a), (b), eff. April 10, 2001; 2003, No. 59, § 29; 2007, No. 54, § 8b; 2009, No. 70 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 39; 2017, No. 50, § 32.)