§ 2602f - First tally - Vermont Statutes

§ 2602f. First tally

(a) The caller shall call the name of the person voted for and/or blank ballots, and/or spoiled ballots. The tally person and the double-check person or persons each shall make a suitable mark for that candidate and/or blank ballots, and/or spoiled ballots.

(b) If the caller and the observer or observers do not agree on how a ballot should be counted, the entire team shall review the ballot and if all members agree, it shall be counted that way.

(c) If one person does not agree, that ballot shall be set aside as a questioned ballot and a copy shall be made, which copy shall be clearly marked on its face identifying it as a copy. Such copies shall be placed on the top of the other ballots and shall remain together with the other ballots. Each original ballot deemed questionable shall be attached to a note which identifies it by town, county, polling place and bag seal number. The originals of these questionable ballots shall be clipped to the summary sheet for that polling place and returned to the court for a final decision.

(d) After the court has rendered a final decision on a given questionable ballot it shall be returned to the county clerk who shall keep it in a sealed container for a period of two years.

(e) Write-in votes for preprinted candidates shall be counted as votes for that candidate.

(f) If the tally persons do not agree on the number of votes for a candidate, the ballots shall be retallied until they do agree. Then the team shall notify the clerk that it has completed the first recount. (Added 1985, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)