Sec. 5. (a) Upon receipt of the absentee ballot and not later than election day, the county election board, or the absentee board members in the office of the circuit court clerk, shall compare the signature of the voter on the absentee ballot application, or, if there is no application, with the signature on the electronic poll book, with the signature on:

(1) the voter’s absentee ballot envelope or ballot secrecy waiver form; or

(2) the computerized list, if there is no envelope or ballot secrecy waiver form.

     (b) If a county election board unanimously finds that the signature on a ballot envelope or transmitted affidavit is genuine, the board shall enclose immediately the accepted and unopened ballot envelope, together with the voter’s application for the absentee ballot, in a large or carrier envelope. If the county election board does not unanimously determine that the signature on a ballot envelope is genuine, the board shall also write on the ballot envelope described in subsection (c) or the transmitted affidavit from a voter under IC 3-11-4-6, the words “SIGNATURE DISPUTED”. The board shall enclose in the same carrier envelope all absentee ballot envelopes and applications for the same precinct.

     (c) The envelope shall be securely sealed and endorsed with the name and official title of the circuit court clerk and the following words: “This envelope contains an absentee ballot and must be opened only on election day under IC 3-11.5.”.

As added by P.L.3-1993, SEC.176 and P.L.19-1993, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.126-2002, SEC.80; P.L.64-2014, SEC.62; P.L.157-2019, SEC.29; P.L.109-2021, SEC.56; P.L.227-2023, SEC.113.