§3-4A-13. Inspection of ballots, electronic poll books and vote-recording devices; duties of county commission, ballot commissioners and election commissioners; records relating to ballots and vote-recording devices; receipt of election materials by ballot commissioners.

(a) When the clerk of the county commission has completed the preparation of the ballots and of any electronic poll books and vote-recording devices as provided in sections eleven-a and twelve-a of this article and as provided in section twenty-one, article one of this chapter, and not later than seven days before the day of the election, he or she shall notify the members of the county commission and the ballot commissioners that the ballots and any electronic poll books and devices are ready for use.

(b) The members of the county commission and the ballot commissioners shall convene at the office of the clerk or at such other place at which any vote-recording devices or electronic poll books and the ballots are stored, not later than five days before the day of the election, and shall inspect the devices, electronic poll books and the ballots to determine whether the requirements of this article have been met. Notice of the place and time of the inspection shall be published, no less than three days in advance, as a Class I-0 legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code. The publication area is the county involved.

(c) Any candidate and one representative of each political party on the ballot may be present during the examination. If the devices and electronic poll books and ballots are found to be in proper order, the members of the county commission and the ballot commissioners shall endorse their approval in the book in which the clerk entered the numbers of the devices opposite the numbers of the precincts.

(d) The vote-recording devices, the electronic poll books and the ballots shall then be secured in double lock rooms. The clerk and the president or president pro tempore of the county commission shall each have a key. The rooms shall be unlocked only in their presence and only for the removal of the devices, electronic poll books and the ballots for transportation to the polls. Upon removal of the devices, the electronic poll books and the ballots, the clerk and president or president pro tempore of the county commission shall certify in writing signed by them that the devices, the electronic poll books and packages of ballots were found to be sealed when removed for transportation to the polls.

(e) Vote-recording devices used during the early voting period may be used on election day if retested in accordance with all the provisions of this section, including public notice between the close of early voting and prior to precinct placement for election day. Vote-recording devices must comply with the applicable requirements of section twenty-six of this article.

(f) Not later than one day before the election, the election commissioner of each precinct previously designated by the ballot commissioners shall attend at the office of the clerk of the county commission to receive the necessary election records, books and supplies required by law. The election commissioners shall receive the per diem mileage rate prescribed by law for this service. The election commissioners shall give the ballot commissioners a sequentially numbered written receipt, on a printed form, provided by the clerk of the county commission, for such records, books and supplies. The receipt shall be prepared in duplicate. One copy of the receipt shall remain with the clerk of the county commission and one copy shall be delivered to the president or president pro tempore of the county commission.