§ 15631 Ballot Challenge Procedures

• •You must explain why you think a ballot is bad.
• •The counter counts it the way they think is right and writes down how they counted it.
• •An elections official decides if the challenge can move forward, and that decision can’t be changed.

During a city election, Jane sees a ballot with a stray mark that could be a vote for two candidates. She says, “The ballot is ambiguous because it looks like two votes.” The counter counts the ballot for the first candidate and notes, “Counted for Candidate A, stray mark noted.” Before finishing the recount, the elections official looks at Jane’s reason and decides whether to let the challenge proceed. The official says, “Challenge allowed,” and the ballot is reviewed again.