Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1360-02-07-.07 - DEPOSITING BALLOT IN BALLOT BOX

(1) Upon the completion of voting, the voter shall carefully remove his or her ballot from the machine and move immediately to the ballot box. The ballot opening to the box shall be covered and before removing the cover to allow the voter to deposit his or her ballot, the judge shall instruct the voter in substantially the following manner:

(a) "Please fold the stub back and forth across the perforation arid tear the stub from your ballot."

(b) The judge will wait to permit the voter to separate the ballot slub. The judge will then further instruct the voter:

(c) "Please hand me the stub to your ballot." The judge will take great care that he or she receives the stub, not the ballot. Upon receiving the stub, the judge shall further instruct the voter:

(d) "Please turn your ballot over and check the reverse side. Are there any bits of cardboard hanging on your ballot" If so, please remove them." (THIS IS IMPORTANT AND MAY NOT BE OMITTED.)

(2) The ballot box judge will watch to see that this is done correctly. When the judge, without touching the ballot, is satisfied that all hanging chads are removed, he or she shall rcinove the cover from the ballot box slot and instruct the voter:

(a) "Please deposit your ballot into the ballot box." When the ballot has been deposited in the ballot box, the judge shall replace the cover and further instruct the voter as follows:

(b) "Please sign your name across your ballot stub." When the voter has signed the ballot stub, the judge shall file it in the ballot stub box.

(3) Voters may occasionally object to signing the ballot stub, fearing that this violates the secrecy of the ballot. Such voter should be assured that the ballot stub is already identified by the number in the poll book or on the voter signature list, and that the purpose of the signature is to ensure that the same person who received the ballot actually voted that ballot, and that there is no way to identify the voter's actual ballot in the ballot box by comparison with any ballot stub.

(4) If the voter is in possession of a write-in envelope, the judge at the ballot box shall instruct the voter as directed in the procedures for write-in votes, as set out in Rule 1360-2-7-.04.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1360-02-07-.07

Original rule filed April 19, 1974; effective May 19, 1974. Amendment filed July 6, 1988; effective October 29, 1988. Repeal and new rule filed August 19, 1994; effective December 29, 1994.

Authority: TCA §§2-910,2-11-201(c).