Section 12-19-44 - Counting process open--Reasonable distance kept by observers--Records associating voter with ballot prohibited--Violation as misdemeanor

12-19-44. Counting process open--Reasonable distance kept by observers--Records associating voter with ballot prohibited--Violation as misdemeanor.The process of sorting, validating, and counting absentee ballots must be open to poll watchers for the purpose of observing the process. A poll watcher shall keep a reasonable distance from ballots and identification information to protect the privacy of absentee voters. No record associating an individual voter with a ballot may be created. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Source: SL 1976, ch 108, §5; SL 2023, ch 51, §16.