(a) Moderator to record result of each count. The moderator shall record the result of each count of absentee ballots, separately by time of count, on (1) a separate moderator's return for each voting district, and (2) a separate record of the number of absentee votes cast for each candidate for each voting district.

(b) Counting at central location. Central counting moderator's return. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, when all counting is complete the moderator shall publicly declare the result of such count. He shall then deliver to the head moderator the central counting moderator's returns, together with all other information required by law or by the Secretary of the State's instructions. The head moderator shall add the results from the voting tabulators, recorded on the moderator's return for each polling place, to the absentee count recorded on the central counting moderator's return for the corresponding voting district, in the manner prescribed by the Secretary of the State. The returns so completed shall show separately the tabulator vote and the absentee vote and the totals thereof.

(c) Counting in the respective polling places. Declaration of result. If the absentee ballots were counted in the respective polling places, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 9-147a, when all counting is complete the moderator shall publicly declare the result of such count as provided in section 9-309 and add such count to the results from the voting tabulators recorded on the moderator's return. Such return shall show separately the tabulator vote and the absentee vote and the totals thereof.

(d) Forms. The Secretary of the State may prescribe the forms and instructions for the tabulation, counting and return of the absentee ballot vote.

(e) Presentation of depository envelopes. The sealed depository envelopes required by subsections (f) and (m) of section 9-150a shall be returned by the moderator to the municipal clerk as soon as practicable on or before the day following the election, primary or referendum.

(f) Municipal clerk to preserve ballots, envelopes and related materials. The municipal clerk shall preserve for sixty days after the election, primary or referendum the depository envelopes containing opened envelopes and rejected ballots required by subsection (f) of section 9-150a, and shall so preserve for one hundred eighty days the depository envelopes containing counted ballots and related materials required by subsection (m) of section 9-150a.

(g) Depository envelopes not to be opened. Exceptions. No such depository envelope shall be opened except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, by the State Elections Enforcement Commission pursuant to a subpoena issued under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 9-7b or within five days of an election, primary or referendum for the purpose of a recanvass conducted pursuant to law. After such a recanvass the depository envelopes and their contents shall be returned to the municipal clerk and preserved for the stated period.

(h) Municipal clerk to preserve applications, void and unused ballots, records. For sixty days after the election, primary or referendum the following shall be preserved by the municipal clerk as a public record open to public inspection: (1) All executed absentee ballot application forms and direction by registrar forms, as required by subdivision (i) of section 9-140; (2) the list and index of applicants for presidential or overseas ballots as required by section 9-158h; (3) the numerical list of absentee voting sets issued as required by subsection (e) of section 9-140; (4) the list of the names of persons whose absentee ballots are received by the municipal clerk, as required by subsection (a) of section 9-140c; (5) all unused absentee ballots; and (6) all envelopes containing ballots received by the municipal clerk after the close of the polls, which shall remain unopened.

(i) Municipal clerk to preserve affidavits. For one hundred eighty days after the election, primary or referendum the following shall be preserved by the municipal clerk as a public record open to public inspection: (1) The affidavit regarding the municipal clerk's endorsement of inner envelopes, as required by subsection (a) of section 9-140c; and (2) the affidavit regarding delivery and receipt of ballots, as required by subsection (j) of said section.

(j) Destruction of ballots, envelopes and related materials. At the expiration of the applicable retention period, if no contest is pending and no subpoena has been issued by the State Elections Enforcement Commission pursuant to subsection (1) of section 9-7b, the municipal clerk shall destroy the materials preserved under this section.

(P.A. 86-179, S. 20, 53; P.A. 87-382, S. 12, 55; 87-532, S. 6, 10; P.A. 88-364, S. 11, 123; P.A. 90-156, S. 5; P.A. 95-177, S. 6, 7; P.A. 00-66, S. 19; P.A. 11-20, S. 1; P.A. 18-124, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 87-382 substituted “one hundred eighty days” for “six months” in Subsecs. (f) and (i) and, in Subsec. (f), also substituted “(m)” for “(n)”; P.A. 87-532 applied provisions of Subsec. (h) to log of applications issued and list of persons whose applications are received by clerk; P.A. 88-364 substituted the words “The sealed” for “No such” in Subsec. (e); P.A. 90-156 corrected a subsec. reference in Subsec. (e); P.A. 95-177 deleted Subsec. (h)(2) re log of applications issued and renumbered Subdivs. (3) to (7) as (2) to (6), effective January 1, 1996; P.A. 00-66 made a technical change in Subsec. (g); pursuant to P.A. 11-20, “machine” and “machines” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “tabulator” and “tabulators”, respectively, in Subsecs. (b) and (c), effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 18-124 amended Subsec. (a) to delete “the moderator's return, or in the case of central counting” in Subdiv. (1) and delete “as shown on the moderator's return, or in the case of central counting, such a record” in Subdiv. (2), deleted former Subsec. (b) re absentee ballots counted at polls and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (b) and amended same to replace “If the absentee ballots were counted at a central location” with “Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section”, added new Subsec. (c) re counting of absentee ballots in respective polling places and replaced “clerk” with “municipal clerk”, effective June 6, 2018.

Cited. 231 C. 602.