The provisions of this section shall apply to any precinct for those elections at which votes are to be received on ballot cards in that precinct.
1. The commissioner shall cause the voting punch devices to be put in order, set, adjusted and made ready for voting when delivered to the precinct polling places. Before the opening of the polls, the precinct election officials shall compare the ballot cards and ballot labels with the sample ballots furnished, and see that the names, numbers and letters thereon agree and shall so certify on forms provided for this purpose. The certification shall be filed with the election returns.
2. Each voter shall be instructed how to use the voting punch device before entering the voting booth. In addition to the instructions printed on the ballot cards or ballot labels, instructions to voters shall be posted in each voting booth or place on the voting punch device. Any voter who requests further instructions as to the manner of voting, after entering the voting booth, shall receive the instructions from two precinct election officials, who shall not be members of the same political party if the election is one in which candidates are to be nominated or elected upon a partisan ballot. The precinct election officials shall give the necessary instruction without attempting in any manner to influence the voter to vote for any particular candidate or ticket, or for or against any public question. After receiving such instructions, the voter shall vote without further assistance, except as otherwise provided by sections 49.89, 49.90 and 49.91.
3. A separate write-in ballot, which may be in the form of a paper ballot or ballot card, or may be printed on the envelope in which the voter places the ballot card after voting, shall be provided where necessary to permit voters to write in the names of persons whose names are not printed on the ballot. If a separate write-in ballot is used, it must be placed by the voter in the same envelope with the regular ballot card.
4. A voter who spoils or defaces a ballot card or marks it erroneously shall return the card to the precinct election officials with stub folded so as not to disclose any choices made. The precinct election officials shall deliver to the voter another ballot card, but no voter may receive more than three ballot cards including the one originally delivered to the voter. Upon return of a defective ballot card, a precinct election official shall cancel it by writing in ink on the back the word "spoiled". The canceled ballot card shall be placed, without detaching the ballot stub, with spoiled ballots to be returned to the commissioner.
5. After marking the ballot card, the voter shall place it inside the ballot envelope and return it to the election official, who shall remove the stub and deposit the envelope with the ballot inside it in the ballot box. Ballot cards from which the stub has been removed by anyone except a precinct election official shall not be deposited in the ballot box, but shall be marked "spoiled" and returned to the commissioner.
[C77, 79, 81, § 52.30]
Referred to in § 52.26
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© 2001 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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