(a) The moderator of the election in each municipality, voting district or ward shall appear at the office of the registrar of voters not later than eight o’clock p.m. of the day before the election and there receive from the registrar of voters the sample ballot, all checklists and other supplies necessary to conduct the election that have not been delivered previously. The moderator shall receive keys for each voting tabulator to be used in the polling place and sign a receipt for such.

(b) On the morning of the election, the election officials shall meet at the room where the election is to be held at least forty-five minutes before the time for opening the polls. The moderator shall then cause the sample ballot and instructions to be posted and everything put in readiness for the commencement of voting at the hour of opening the polls. The moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall examine the numbers on the seals of the tabulator.

(c) The moderator's return which the moderator receives from the registrars of voters for all elections shall be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State. The moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, before the polls are opened, shall indicate on the return: (1) The delivery of the tabulator; and (2) the numbers on the seals. Additionally, the moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall produce a zero tape indicating that the public counter is set at zero (000). The seal on the tabulator shall remain unbroken. If the seal is broken, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator tape shall be produced. If the tape does not show all zeros, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator shall not be used.

(d) In addition to the requirements established in subsection (c) of this section, the return shall include a certificate, which shall be filled out after the polls have been closed and which indicates that the tabulator has been locked against voting and remains sealed and that also indicates the number of electors as shown on the public counter along with the number on all the seals. The moderators' returns shall show the total number of votes cast for each office, the number of votes cast for each candidate and the number of votes for persons not nominated, which shall be certified by the moderator and registrars of voters, or assistant registrars, as the case may be.

(1949 Rev., S. 1205; 1953, S. 735d; 1957, P.A. 561, S. 16; 1959, P.A. 487, S. 4; February, 1965, P.A. 195, S. 1; 408, S. 1; P.A. 75-123; P.A. 83-475, S. 21, 43; P.A. 98-67, S. 5, 10; P.A. 00-66, S. 23; 00-79, S. 1; P.A. 07-194, S. 23.)

History: 1959 act required registrars rather than selectmen, wardens or mayors to be present when envelope is opened where the numbers on machine and on envelope with keys do not agree; 1965 acts changed from six to eight o’clock the afternoon before election the time before which moderator to appear at office of municipal clerk, added provision where machine is equipped with device for printing totals that the doors concealing the counters shall not be opened, required election officials to examine printed record to see that each counter registers zero and allowed watchers to examine the record; P.A. 75-123 provided that moderator's return be in form prescribed by secretary of the state; P.A. 83-475 provided for receipt of only the number two and three keys for machines; P.A. 98-67 added sentence re availability of number four election official key, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-66 divided section into Subsecs.; P.A. 00-79 added provision requiring supplies provided by municipal clerk to moderator to include minimum number of paper ballots; P.A. 07-194 changed “municipal clerk” to “registrar of voters”, divided existing Subsec. (c) into Subsecs. (c) and (d), amended procedures re voting machines to reflect use of voting tabulators, deleted former Subsec. (d) re mechanic's seal and made conforming and technical changes.