7-104 - Ballots; form of, voting machine.
§ 7-104. Ballots; form of, voting machine. 1. All ballots shall be printed and/or displayed in a format and arrangement, of such uniform size and style as will fit the ballot frame, and shall be in as plain and clear a type or display as the space will reasonably permit. Such type or display on the ballot shall satisfy all requirements and standards set forth pursuant to the federal Help America Vote Act. 2. The names of parties or independent bodies which contain more than fifteen letters may, whenever limitations of space so require, be printed on the ballot in an abbreviated form. In printing the names of candidates whose full names contain more than fifteen letters, only the surname must be printed in full. The officer or board charged with the duty of preparing the ballots shall request each such candidate to indicate, in writing, the shortened form in which, subject to this restriction, his name shall be printed. If no such indication is received from such candidate within the time specified in the request, such officer or board shall make the necessary determination. 3. (a) The party name or other designation, and a designating letter and number shall be affixed to the name of each candidate, or, in case of presidential electors, to the names of the candidates for president and vice-president of such party. (b) The titles of offices may be arranged horizontally, with the names of candidates for an office and the slot or device for write-in ballots for such office arranged vertically under the title of the office, or the titles of offices may be arranged vertically, with the names of candidates for an office and the slot or device for write-in ballots for such office arranged horizontally opposite the title of the office. (c) Each office shall occupy as many columns or rows on the machine as the number of candidates to be elected to that office. 4. (a) The names of all candidates nominated by any party or independent body for an office shall always appear in the row or column containing generally the names of candidates nominated by such party or independent body for other offices except as hereinafter provided. (b) When the same person has been nominated for an office to be filled at the election by more than one party, the voting machine shall be so adjusted that his or her name shall appear in each row or column containing generally the names of candidates for other offices nominated by any such party. (c) If such candidate has also been nominated by one or more independent bodies, his or her name shall appear only in each row or column containing generally the names of candidates for other offices nominated by any such party and the name of each such independent body shall appear in one such row or column to be designated by the candidate in a writing filed with the officer or board charged with the duty of providing ballots, or if such person shall fail to so designate, the names of such independent bodies shall appear in such row or column as such officer or board shall determine. (d) If any person shall be nominated for any office by one party and two or more independent bodies his or her name shall appear on the voting machine twice; once in the row or column containing generally the names of candidates for other offices nominated by such party, and once in the row or column containing generally the names of candidates nominated by the independent body designated by such person in a writing filed with the officer or board charged with the duty of providing ballots and in connection with the name of such person in such row or column shall appear the name of each independent body nominating him or her or, if such person shall fail to so designate, the name of such candidate and the names of such independent bodies shall appear in such row or column as such officer or board shall determine.(e) If any person is nominated for any office only by more than one independent bodies, his or her name shall appear but once upon the machine in one such row or column to be designated by the candidate in a writing filed with the officer or board charged with the duty of providing ballots, or if the candidate shall fail to so designate, in the place designated by the officer or board charged with the duty of providing ballots, and in connection with his or her name there shall appear the name of each independent body nominating him or her, but, where the capacity of the machine will permit, the name of such person shall not appear or be placed in a column or on a horizontal line with the names of persons nominated by a party for other offices. 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision four of this section, the name of a person who is nominated for the office of governor, or state senator, or member of assembly, shall appear on the ballot as many times as there are parties or independent bodies nominating him or her, and there shall be a separate voting and registering device at each place in which such name shall appear. 6. If any type of machine used in any county or city contains any feature, the use of which is neither required nor prohibited by the provisions of this chapter, the board of elections may, by resolution, require that one or more of such features shall be used in such county. Thereafter all machines of such type used in such county or city shall be operated in conformity with any such resolution. Any such resolution may thereafter be rescinded by such board and after being so rescinded may be re-adopted. Once re-adopted by any board of elections, such a resolution may not be rescinded again by such board. 7. The ballot shall have printed upon it in black ink for each party or independent row, at the head of the column or the beginning of the row containing the names of candidates, the image of a closed fist with index finger extended pointing to the party or independent row. In the same space, in black letters as large as the space will permit, shall be printed the name of the party or independent body and at the right of the fist and below the index finger shall be printed in black ink the emblem and the designating letters of the row or column. 8. With respect to candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor of a party or independent body, ballots shall be printed so that the names of such candidates for both offices shall appear in the same row or column, with the name of the candidate for governor appearing first and the ballot shall be so adjusted that both offices are voted for jointly and have but one designating letter or number.