Section 10. Absentee Paper Ballots

Except as otherwise provided in the Election Code, there shall be one uniform paper ballot. [1.10.12.10 NMAC - Rp, 1.10.12.10 NMAC, 4/24/2018] 1.10.12.11 ALTERNATE VOTING LOCATIONS AND MOBILE ALTERNATE VOTING LOCATIONS: A. Alternate voting locations are established by the county clerk for early voting and shall meet the standards set out in the Election Code, Sections 1-6-5.6 to 1-6-5.7 NMSA 1978. (1) 90 days prior to the beginning of early voting, the county clerk shall notify the secretary of state of the dates, times of operations, and addresses of the established alternate voting locations or mobile alternate voting locations and shall publicize the information using media outlets directed to, and appropriate for, the voters of that area. (2) Alternate voting locations and mobile alternate voting locations shall be staffed in accordance with the Election Code, Section 1-2-12 NMSA 1978 and may not be staffed by the county clerk if the county clerk’s name appears on the ballot or by the county clerk’s deputy if the county clerk’s deputy’s name appears on the ballot. (3) The county clerk shall prepare a list of authorized individuals who have access to each alternate voting location or mobile alternate voting location, to include authorized custodians of the voting tabulator or ballot box keys. Access to each alternate voting location or mobile alternate voting location for those authorized shall not be controlled by any third party. A copy of the list shall be provided to the office of the secretary of state and, in a primary, general or special election for U.S. representative, the chairs of each county’s political parties. B. Lawfully appointed challengers, watchers and observers shall be allowed in an alternate voting location or mobile alternate voting location as provided in the Election Code. (1) An interposed challenge shall be handled in accordance with the Election Code, Section 1-12-20 to 1-12-22 NMSA 1978 ry, general or special election for U.S. representative, the chairs of each county’s political parties. B. Lawfully appointed challengers, watchers and observers shall be allowed in an alternate voting location or mobile alternate voting location as provided in the Election Code. (1) An interposed challenge shall be handled in accordance with the Election Code, Section 1-12-20 to 1-12-22 NMSA 1978. (2) Challengers, watchers or observers shall not violate the permitted or prohibited provisions as outlined in the Election Code including Sections 1-2-23, 1-2-29, 1-2-25, 1-2-31 and 1-2-32 NMSA 1978. If a violation occurs, the incident shall be documented in reasonable detail by the of the presiding judge and election judges of an election board on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and retained by the county clerk pursuant to Subsection C of Section 1-2-22 NMSA 1978. The presiding judge and election judges of an election board who unanimously vote to remove a challenger, watcher or observer as a result of a violation shall sign and record the vote of the board on the violation form. [1.10.12.11 NMAC - N, 4/24/2018; A, 8/31/2023] 1.10.12.12 VOTING TABULATOR PROGRAMMING, CERTIFICATION, CUSTODY AND SECURITY: A. Each certified voting tabulator designated for use during an election, shall be programmed, tested for accuracy and used for the tabulation of ballots in accordance the Election Code, Section 1-9-1 to 1-9-22 NMSA 1978. (1) Official tabulator envelopes for each voting tabulator shall be prepared and shall contain 1.10.12 NMAC 5 the tabulator serial number, seal number, a printed and signed results reporting tape indicating the clearing of any votes recorded on the tabulator’s removable storage media device cartridge and set at zero, and any keys or tokens needed to access, operate and secure the tabulator. Such envelopes shall be provided to the presiding judge of the alternate voting location or mobile alternate voting location lator serial number, seal number, a printed and signed results reporting tape indicating the clearing of any votes recorded on the tabulator’s removable storage media device cartridge and set at zero, and any keys or tokens needed to access, operate and secure the tabulator. Such envelopes shall be provided to the presiding judge of the alternate voting location or mobile alternate voting location. (2) At least one day before each voting tabulator is deployed for mailed ballot tabulation and early voting, the county clerk shall provide the voting tabulator type and serial number to the secretary of state and the county chair of each political party represented on the ballot. (a) Each certified voting tabulator deployed to an alternate voting location or mobile alternate voting location shall be transported with the care and custody set out in the Election Code, Section 1-9-12 NMSA 1978, delivered in accordance with the Election Code, Section 1-11-11 NMSA 1978 and shall be secured by a lock, key and seal. (b) The placement of each voting tabulator used for absentee or early voting shall safeguard the secrecy of each voted ballot, protect the security of the voting tabulator and shall be compliant with accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (3) Each day during the early voting period, the county clerk or election board member shall, in the presence of one other county clerk employee or election board member, unlock the office where the voting tabulator, ballot box, preprinted paper ballots or voting systems needed to issue ballots are located and unlock the voting tabulator, ballot box or other container securing preprinted paper ballots or voting systems needed to issue ballots. (4) Each day upon close of the early voting location, the above procedure shall be followed to lock and secure the voting tabulator, ballot box or other container securing preprinted paper ballots or voting systems needed to issue ballots e ballots are located and unlock the voting tabulator, ballot box or other container securing preprinted paper ballots or voting systems needed to issue ballots. (4) Each day upon close of the early voting location, the above procedure shall be followed to lock and secure the voting tabulator, ballot box or other container securing preprinted paper ballots or voting systems needed to issue ballots. (5) Assigned user names and passwords needed to access voting systems used to issue ballots or the voting tabulator shall not be shared or disclosed to any person other than the intended user. (6) Immediately after unlocking or locking the early voting location, the county clerk or [precinct] election board member present shall complete and sign the early voting daily report and shall submit it to the office of the secretary of state for the previous day’s activity. Any discrepancy between the daily number of ballots issued and the number of ballots cast shall be reconciled prior to the submission of the early voting daily report. B. A voting tabulator shall be used for the entire early voting period for the casting of ballots. The tabulator shall remain in open status and the result reporting tape shall be prompted only by the absent voter election board, when convened, for the counting and recording of mailed and early voted ballots. (1) If a voting tabulator is inadvertently prompted to close, the presiding judge shall notify the county clerk immediately. The county clerk, after determining that the tabulator should be reopened, shall dispatch a voting technician, who in the presence of the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, shall enable the reopen polls function and verify the number of ballots counted on the tabulator screen. An audit log of the reopen polls transaction will be recorded by the voting tabulator and will be visible on the results reporting tapes ed, shall dispatch a voting technician, who in the presence of the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, shall enable the reopen polls function and verify the number of ballots counted on the tabulator screen. An audit log of the reopen polls transaction will be recorded by the voting tabulator and will be visible on the results reporting tapes. The results reporting tapes shall be signed by the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, and remain connected to the voting tabulator. (a) If the number of ballots counted does not match the number of ballots cast prior to the inadvertent close of the voting tabulator, the county clerk shall instruct the voting technician, who in the presence of the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, to clear the removable storage media device cartridge, removing all previously recorded votes and reopen the polls of the voting tabulator. The presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, will inspect the generated results reporting tapes to ensure the ballots cast number and all candidate contests and ballot questions are cleared and set to zero. The presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge shall sign the certificate at the end of the generated results reporting tapes, affirming their inspection and reinsert the ballots from within the bin into the voting tabulator. The results reporting tapes shall remain connected to the voting tabulator. Once complete, the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge will verify the ballots cast on the public counter of the voting tabulator matches the total ballots cast on the voting tabulator prior to the inadvertent close allots from within the bin into the voting tabulator. The results reporting tapes shall remain connected to the voting tabulator. Once complete, the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge will verify the ballots cast on the public counter of the voting tabulator matches the total ballots cast on the voting tabulator prior to the inadvertent close. (b) The voting tabulator may then be put back into use and the county clerk shall immediately notify the office of the secretary of state, in writing, of the occurrence. The presiding judge will provide the results reporting tapes from the inadvertent tabulator closure to the voting technician, who will deliver the results reporting tapes directly to the county clerk to be filed and kept confidential. (2) If a voting tabulator is inadvertently closed, generating the results reporting tapes during 1.10.12 NMAC 6 the days and hours of operation of early voting, the presiding judge shall immediately notify the county clerk and ensure the voting tabulator, ballots within the bin and results reporting tapes are not tampered with. (a) The county clerk shall dispatch a voting technician, who in the presence of the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, will instruct the presiding judge to verify the total number of ballots cast on the voting tabulator before it was inadvertently closed. The voting technician will clear the removable storage media device cartridge, removing all previously recorded votes and reopen the polls of the voting tabulator. The presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, will inspect the generated results reporting tapes to ensure the ballots cast number and all candidate contests and ballot questions are cleared and set to zero n will clear the removable storage media device cartridge, removing all previously recorded votes and reopen the polls of the voting tabulator. The presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge, will inspect the generated results reporting tapes to ensure the ballots cast number and all candidate contests and ballot questions are cleared and set to zero. The presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge shall sign the certificate at the end of the generated results reporting tapes, affirming their inspection and reinsert the ballots from within the bin into the voting tabulator. The results reporting tapes shall remain connected to the voting tabulator. Once complete, the presiding judge and two election judges, one of a differing party than the presiding judge will verify the ballots cast on the public counter of the voting tabulator matches the total ballots cast on the voting tabulator prior to the inadvertent close. (b) The voting tabulator may then be put back into use and the county clerk shall immediately notify the office of the secretary of state, in writing, of the occurrence. The presiding judge will provide the results reporting tapes from the inadvertent tabulator closure to the voting technician, who will deliver the results reporting tapes directly to the county clerk to be filed and kept confidential.