The City Clerk shall count ballots in accordance with procedures used by the City Clerk to count ballots for other similar elections. Only the City Clerk may handle ballots. All ballots counted and uncounted shall be kept in view of the observers at all times during the tally and until the Ballot Statement is finally signed.
The identification envelope containing the sealed ballot envelope shall not be opened until the tally is commenced in order to preserve the secrecy of the ballot. At the commencement of the tally, the City Clerk shall audibly announce the name of each voter and shall then open the identification envelope, removing the official ballot. After all identification envelopes have been opened and set aside from the tally area, the City Clerk shall then proceed to count and tally the ballots cast for each choice, laying the ballots face up so that observers may inspect the marks. The count shall continue in this manner until all the ballots are opened and counted. When all ballots have been counted, the total number of votes cast for each candidate shall be entered on the unofficial Tally Results.
If a ballot is torn, defaced, marked in an ambiguous fashion, or is otherwise defective, the City Clerk shall determine whether the intent of the voter can be reasonably determined and, if so, determine it. If intent cannot be reasonably determined or if the ballot directly or indirectly identifies the voter, the ballot shall be declared void by the City Clerk and shall be preserved for a period of 90 calendar days.
After preparing the official Tally Results, the City Clerk shall place under seal all ballots, identification envelopes, and tally sheets, and shall retain them in a sealed condition for no less than 90 calendar days.
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 178,442, Eff. 4-15-07.