The clerk of the county commission shall cause the voting machines to be programmed so that each lever is properly set to record a vote and that the voter can vote for the maximum number of candidates allowed for each office and no more. In general elections, the straight ticket lever shall cause a vote to be cast for every candidate of the straight ticket party unless the voter cancels a vote within that party by resetting one or more individual levers at the positions of specific candidates to the no-vote position.
The clerk shall then see that the counters referred to in subsection (11), section eight of this article are set at zero (000) and shall lock the operating device and mechanism and devices protecting the counter and ballot labels. The clerk shall then enter in an appropriate book, opposite the number of each precinct, the identifying or distinguishing number of the specific voting machine or machines to be used in that precinct.