Section 73-14-31.2 - Handling of absentee ballots by absent voter precinct board. - New Mexico Statutes

73-14-31.2. Handling of absentee ballots by absent voter precinct board.

A.     The absent voter precinct board shall select one member to serve as presiding judge. The election director shall appoint a special deputy to serve at the absent voter precinct.   

B.     Upon receipt of the absentee ballots by the absent voter precinct board, the special deputy shall remain in the polling place of the absent voter precinct until he has observed the opening of the official mailing envelope, the deposit of the ballot in the locked ballot box marked for the conservancy district election and the listing of the names on the official mailing envelope in the signature rosters. Upon delivery of the absentee ballots, the special deputy shall obtain a receipt executed by the presiding judge and each election judge appointed to the absent voter precinct board. The special deputy shall return the receipt to the election director for filing. The receipts shall specify the number of envelopes received by the special deputy for each absent voter precinct of the conservancy district and the number of envelopes received by the absent voter precinct board from the special deputy.   

C.     Before opening any official mailing envelope, the presiding judge and the election judges shall determine if the required information has been completed on the reverse side of the official mailing envelope.   

D.     If the voter's signature is missing, the presiding judge shall write "rejected" on the front of the official mailing envelope. The election judges shall enter the voter's name in the signature rosters and shall write the notation "rejected - missing signature" in the notations column of the signature rosters. The presiding judge shall place the official mailing envelope unopened in an envelope provided for rejected ballots for the conservancy district, seal the envelope and write the voter's name on the front of the envelope and deposit it in the locked ballot box.   

E.     At 5:00 p.m. on the Monday immediately preceding the date of election, the election officer or election director shall record the numbers of the unused absentee ballots for the conservancy district and shall publicly destroy in the conservancy office all of the unused ballots. The election officer or election director shall execute a certificate of destruction, which shall include the numbers on the ballots destroyed. A copy of the certificate of destruction shall be sent to the board of directors of the conservancy district and the secretary of state.