13-15-103. Counting board. (1) In any precinct where a counting board has been appointed in addition to the regular board of election judges, the counting board shall meet at a place designated by the election administrator.
     (2) The election administrator may provide duplicate boxes for voted ballots and duplicate pollbooks at any precinct for which a counting board has been appointed and may arrange for the counting board to begin the count of the votes cast before the polls close. The counting board shall be sequestered in a separate room from where the ballots are being cast until after the polls close. Any individual observing the counting board procedures must be sequestered with the board until after the polls close. The counting board shall proceed by counting all ballots in the first box and then that box and pollbook shall be exchanged for the second box and duplicate pollbook. The board shall continue counting until the votes cast for all candidates and issues are counted. The election administrator may appoint an extra election judge to act as a marshal to be responsible for exchanging ballot boxes and pollbooks and enforcing sequestering of the board and observers.
     (3) The election administrator may have the counting board for a precinct begin work as soon as the polls close instead of using the procedure outlined in subsection (2).
     (4) In a county where voting devices are used, the election administrator may make provisions for the delivery of voted ballots to the counting center at any time prior to the closing of the polls. The ballots may be processed and counted as they are received, but the results of this early count may not be released to the public until after all the polls are closed.
     (5) No election judge or other individual having access to the information may disclose any results of early counting while the polls are open.

     History: En. Sec. 150, Ch. 571, L. 1979.