115.507. Announcement of results by verification board, contents, when due--abstract of votes to be official returns. - Missouri Statutes

Announcement of results by verification board, contents, whendue--abstract of votes to be official returns.

115.507. 1. Not later than the second Tuesday after the election,the verification board shall issue a statement announcing the results ofeach election held within its jurisdiction and shall certify the returns toeach political subdivision and special district submitting a candidate orquestion at the election. The statement shall include a categorization ofthe number of regular and absentee votes cast in the election, and howthose votes were cast; provided however, that absentee votes shall not bereported separately where such reporting would disclose how any singlevoter cast his or her vote. When absentee votes are not reportedseparately the statement shall include the reason why such reporting didnot occur. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require theelection authority to tabulate absentee ballots by precinct on electionnight.

2. The verification board shall prepare the returns by drawing anabstract of the votes cast for each candidate and on each questionsubmitted to a vote of people in its jurisdiction by the state and by eachpolitical subdivision and special district at the election. The abstractof votes drawn by the verification board shall be the official returns ofthe election.

3. Any home rule city with more than four hundred thousandinhabitants and located in more than one county may by ordinance designateone of the election authorities situated partially or wholly within thathome rule city to be the verification board that shall certify the returnsof such city submitting a candidate or question at any election and shallnotify each verification board within the city of that designation byproviding each with a copy of such duly adopted ordinance. Not later thanthe second Tuesday after any election in any city making such adesignation, each verification board within the city shall certify thereturns of such city submitting a candidate or question at the election tothe election authority so designated by the city to be its verificationboard, and such election authority shall announce the results of theelection and certify the cumulative returns to the city in conformance withsubsections 1 and 2 of this section not later than ten days thereafter.

4. Not later than the second Tuesday after each election at which thename of a candidate for nomination or election to the office of presidentof the United States, United States senator, representative in Congress,governor, lieutenant governor, state senator, state representative, judgeof the circuit court, secretary of state, attorney general, statetreasurer, or state auditor, or at which an initiative, referendum,constitutional amendment or question of retaining a judge subject to theprovisions of article V, section 29* of the state constitution, appears onthe ballot in a jurisdiction, the election authority of the jurisdictionshall mail or deliver to the secretary of state the abstract of the votesgiven in its jurisdiction, by polling place or precinct, for each suchoffice and on each such question. If mailed, the abstract shall beenclosed in a strong, sealed envelope or envelopes. On the outside of eachenvelope shall be printed: "Returns of election held in the county of...................... (City of St. Louis, Kansas City) on the................ day of ...................., ............, ", etc.

(L. 1977 H.B. 101 § 12.325, A.L. 1978 H.B. 1694, A.L. 1997 S.B. 132, A.L. 1999 H.B. 676, A.L. 2002 H.B. 1636 merged with S.B. 675 merged with S.B. 962)

*Article V, section 29 of the Missouri Constitution was repealed in 1976 by SJR 24.