The State Election Board shall appoint two members of each county election board, and two alternates, to serve terms of four (4) years each. No later than April 15, 1975, and every four (4) years thereafter, the county central committees of the two political parties with the largest number of registered voters in the state, based upon the latest January 15 registration report, shall each submit to the State Election Board a nominee for membership on the county election board and a nominee to serve as the alternate. The nominations must be submitted in writing and signed by at least two members of each county central committee. If the county central committee for a party in a county fails to submit a nominee or if there is no county central committee for a party in a county, the state central committee for the party may submit to the State Election Board a nominee for membership on the county election board and a nominee to serve as the alternate. The State Election Board shall be confined to the nominees in making appointments, one from each party, to the county election board and one from each party to serve as the alternate. The appointments shall be made no later than May 1, 1975, and every four (4) years thereafter. If a county or state central committee fails to submit nominees by April 15, the State Election Board shall appoint a member and alternate to the county election board from the ranks of such party within the county. Alternates shall serve on the county election board at any meeting that the member for whom the person is an alternate is unable to attend. In the event of a vacancy, the State Election Board shall, within sixty (60) days after such vacancy occurs, appoint a member of the same party to fill the unexpired term, based on a nomination submitted by the party's county central committee in the manner hereinbefore provided within thirty (30) days after the vacancy occurs. Should a county or state central committee fail to submit a nominee within the prescribed period of time, the State Election Board shall appoint a member of the county election board from the ranks of the party within the county. Vacancies shall occur when a member fails to attend five consecutive meetings of the board or when a member changes the member’s party affiliation. It shall be the duty of the other two members of the board to notify the Secretary of the State Election Board should a vacancy occur. A vacancy shall be filled in the manner hereinbefore provided.

Added by Laws 1974, c. 153, § 2-111, operative Jan. 1, 1975. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 316, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Laws 2000, c. 358, § 3, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2010, c. 189, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011.