24.2-628 - Authorized use of mechanical voting devices.
§ 24.2-628. Authorized use of mechanical voting devices.
A. Any person, firm, or corporation manufacturing, owning, or offering forsale any mechanical voting device may apply to the State Board, in the mannerprescribed by the Board, to examine and approve such device. The Board shallmake, or have made, a report on the capacity of the device accurately toregister and count votes, and in respect to its mechanical perfections andimperfections, and whether it meets the requirements prescribed in thischapter. The report shall be filed in the office of the Board and shallstate whether the kind of device so examined can be safely and convenientlyused at elections. If the Board determines that the device can be so used,and meets the requirements prescribed in this chapter, the Board shallapprove the device for use at elections. No form of voting device not soapproved shall be used at any election.
B. Any kind of mechanical voting device may be approved by the Board whichmeets the following requirements:
1. It shall provide facilities for voting for all candidates of as manypolitical parties as may make nominations at any election; on as manyquestions as may be submitted at any election; and at all general or specialelections, permit the voter to vote for all of the candidates of one party orin part for the candidates of one or more parties. It shall enable the voterto vote for as many persons for an office as lawfully permitted, but no more;prevent the voter from voting for the same person more than once for the sameoffice; and enable the voter to vote on any question he is lawfully permittedto vote on, but no other.
2. For use at primary elections, it shall be equipped so that all rows exceptthose of the voter's party can be locked out by the officers of election bymeans of an adjustment on the outside of the device.
3. It shall correctly register or record, and accurately count all votes castfor candidates and on questions.
4. It shall be provided with a "protective counter" whereby any operationof the device before or after the election will be detected.
5. It shall be provided with a counter which shall show at all times duringan election how many persons have voted.
6. It shall be provided with a mechanical model, illustrating the manner ofvoting and suitable for the instruction of voters.
7. It shall enable each voter to vote for all the presidential electors ofone party by one operation. It shall have a ballot containing the words"Electors For" preceded by the name of the party or other authorizeddesignation and the names of its candidates for the offices of President andVice-President and a mechanism which registers the collective vote cast forsuch electors.
8. It shall ensure voting in absolute secrecy.
(Code 1950, §§ 24-293, 24-294; 1970, c. 462, §§ 24.1-204, 24.1-205; 1985, c.458; 1993, c. 641.)