Sec. 33. (a) After a voter has marked a ballot card, the voter shall place it inside the envelope provided for this purpose or fold the ballot described in section 18(b)(1) of this chapter and return the ballot card to the judge.

     (b) The judge shall offer to return the envelope with the ballot card inside to the voter. The voter shall:

(1) accept the envelope and deposit it in the ballot box; or

(2) decline the envelope and require the judge to deposit it in the ballot box.

     (c) If a voter offers to vote a ballot card that is not inside the envelope provided for this purpose or with the ballot not folded as described in section 18(b)(1) of this chapter, the precinct election board shall direct the voter to return to the booth and place the ballot card in the envelope provided for this purpose or fold the ballot. After voting, a voter shall leave the polls.

     (d) If a voter leaves the booth without casting a ballot, a precinct election official shall:

(1) attempt to advise the voter not to leave the polls because the voter’s ballot has not been cast; and

(2) permit the voter to return to the booth to complete the process of casting the voter’s ballot.

     (e) If the voter has left the polls, or declines to return to the booth, the inspector shall direct both judges to do the following:

(1) Enter into the booth and place the voter’s ballot inside the envelope provided or fold the ballot as described in section 18(b)(1) of this chapter.

(2) Give the envelope or folded ballot to the inspector.

The inspector shall then deposit the voter’s ballot in the ballot box.

     (f) After the voter’s ballot has been deposited in the ballot box, the judges and the inspector shall promptly complete a form prescribed under IC 3-5-4-8 containing the following information:

(1) The name of the voter who left the polls without completing the process of casting a ballot if the voter’s name is known.

(2) The approximate time that the voter left the polls.

(3) Whether the voter was advised that the voter could return to the booth to complete the casting of the ballot.

(4) A statement made under the penalties for perjury indicating that:

(A) the judges gave the voter’s ballot to the inspector;

(B) the inspector deposited the voter’s ballot in the ballot box; and

(C) the judges and the inspector did not make any alteration to the choices made by the voter.

The form must be signed by both judges and the inspector.

     (g) After a voter’s ballot cards have been deposited in the ballot box, the poll clerks shall make a voting mark after the voter’s name on the poll list.

[Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: 3-2-4-4(e) part.]

As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.7. Amended by P.L.3-1987, SEC.321; P.L.4-1996, SEC.71; P.L.38-1999, SEC.49; P.L.176-1999, SEC.90; P.L.239-2001, SEC.13; P.L.221-2005, SEC.87; P.L.278-2019, SEC.109; P.L.156-2020, SEC.3.