Montana Code 13-16-412. Procedure for recounting paper ballots
13-16-412. Procedure for recounting paper ballots. To conduct a recount of paper ballots:
Terms Used In Montana Code 13-16-412
- Ballot: means a paper ballot counted manually or a paper ballot counted by a machine, such as an optical scan system or other technology that automatically tabulates votes cast by processing the paper ballots. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Election: means a general, special, or primary election held pursuant to the requirements of state law, regardless of the time or purpose. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- primary election: means an election held on a date specified in 13-1-107 to nominate candidates for offices filled at a general election. See Montana Code 13-1-101
(1)the election administrator shall provide to the recount board, unopened, each sealed package or envelope received from the election judges of the precinct or precincts in which a recount is ordered, containing all the paper ballots voted in the precinct or precincts;
(2)a member of the recount board shall open each sealed package or envelope and remove the ballots, and the board shall count the votes on each ballot manually in the manner provided in 13-15-206(2), except that if the office to be recounted is on a partisan primary election ballot, votes are recounted only on the party ballots that are subject to the recount; and
(3)the recount must be tallied on previously prepared tally sheets. The tally sheets must show the names of the respective candidates, the office or offices for which a recount is made, and the number of each election precinct.