Preparation for Use; Comparison of Ballots; Operational Checks of Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems Equipment; Pollwatchers. The county clerk or board of election commissioners shall cause the approved Direct Recording Electronic Voting System equipment to be delivered to the polling places. Before the opening of the polls, all Direct Recording Voting System devices shall provide a printed record of the following, upon verification of the authenticity of the commands by a judge of election: the election’s identification data, the equipment’s unit identification, the ballot‘s format identification, the contents of each active candidate register by office and of each active public question register showing that they contain all zeros, all ballot fields that can be used to invoke special voting options, and other information needed to ensure the readiness of the equipment, and to accommodate administrative reporting requirements.
     The Direct Recording Electronic Voting System shall provide a means of opening the polling place and readying the equipment for the casting of ballots. Such means shall incorporate a security seal, a password, or a data code recognition capability to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized actuation of the poll-opening function. If more than one step is required, it shall enforce their execution in the proper sequence.
     Pollwatchers as provided by law shall be permitted to closely observe the judges in these procedures and to periodically inspect the Direct Recording Electronic Voting System equipment when not in use by the voters.