§ 7-5-202 — Public notice of elections

(a) (1) It shall be the duty of the county board of election commissioners at least eight (8) days before the beginning of early voting for a preferential primary, general primary, general election, general runoff, school, or special election to give public notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of: (A) The date of the election; (B) The hours of voting on election day; (C) The places and times for early voting; (D) Polling sites for holding the elections in the county; (E) The candidates and offices to be elected at that time; (F) The time and location of the opening, processing, canvassing, and counting of ballots; (G) The location where lists of appointed election officials, deputy county clerks, or additional deputies hired to conduct early voting can be found and the dates the lists are available; and (H) Directions for filing a written objection to the service of an election official, deputy county clerk, or additional deputy. (2) A person shall not serve as an election official if: (A) The person is: (i) Married to or related within the second degree of consanguinity to a candidate running for office in the election; (ii) The spouse of a member of a county board of election commissioners, except the spouse of a member of a county board of election commissioners may work as a poll worker if no objection is made to his or her service as a poll worker to the county board of election commissioners within seven (7) calendar days after posting the list of officials; or (iii) A county party chair or his or her spouse, except the county party chair or his or her spouse may work as a poll worker if no objection is made to his or her service to the county board of election commissioners within seven (7) calendar days after posting the list of officials; and (B) Another person makes an objection to his or her service to the county board of election commissioners within seven (7) calendar days after posting the list of officials. (3) [Repealed.] (b) (1) At least five (5) days before a preferential primary, general primary, general election, general runoff, school election, or special election, a copy of the public notice may be posted at each polling site fixed for holding the election and shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. (2) (A) At least eight (8) days before the beginning of early voting, each county board of election commissioners or county clerk shall prepare and post in a public place in the county clerk's office its list of appointed election officials, deputy county clerks, or additional deputies hired to conduct early voting. (B) (i) At least eight (8) days before election day, each county board of election commissioners shall prepare and post in a public place in the county clerk's office its list of appointed election officials for election day. (ii) The list may appoint election officials hired for election day in the event of a runoff election. (iii) All election officials who are qualified to serve on election day are qualified to serve in a corresponding runoff election. (c) (1) On the day of any election, the following shall be posted at each polling site and remain posted continuously therein until the polls close: (A) The public notice required in subsection (a) of this section; (B) (i) At least two (2) sample ballots, marked with the word "SAMPLE", of each ballot style that will be used at the polling site. (ii) If the polling site has more than fifteen (15) ballot styles and has posted a sample ballot for each ballot style via an internet website before the beginning of early voting, the polling site may provide the following in lieu of the sample ballots under subdivision (c)(1)(B)(i) of this section: (a) At least two (2) bound volumes that include each sample ballot, marked with the word "SAMPLE"; or (b) At least one (1) bound volume that includes each sample ballot, marked with the word "SAMPLE", and at least one (1) electronic device that allows voters to access a sample ballot for each ballot style; (C) Two (2) copies of the full text of all measures on the ballot; (D) At least two (2) copies of instructions on how to vote, including how to cast a provisional ballot and instructions for fail-safe voting; (E) General information on voting rights under applicable federal and state laws, including information on the right of an individual to cast a provisional ballot and instructions on how to contact the appropriate officials if these rights are alleged to have been violated; (F) (i) General information on federal and state laws regarding prohibitions on acts of fraud and misrepresentation; and (ii) Information about the availability of the Attorney General's election law violation hotline, including without limitation the hotline telephone number of the Attorney General's election law violation hotline established under § 7-4-305 ; (G) (i) Double-sided signs containing the words "VOTE HERE". (ii) Each sign shall be at least two feet by two feet (2' x 2') in size and shall contain an arrow pointing to the polling site. (iii) A sign shall be posted near each main driveway entrance to the polling site on each public street bordering the polling site so as to be visible to all traffic approaching the polling site. (iv) The sign shall be as close as possible to the public street without obstructing traffic; and (H) One (1) printout from each voting machine, terminal, or ballot tabulator showing that the candidate and question counters register zero (0). (2) If a county is providing sample ballots for a specified polling site in bound volumes or electronic databases under subdivision (c)(1)(B)(ii) of this section, the county shall ensure the bound volumes or electronic databases are organized so that a voter may easily identify the sample ballot corresponding with his or her precinct-part. (d) The Secretary of State shall provide to each county board of election commissioners and each county clerk the information to be posted at each polling site according to subdivisions (c)(1)(E) and (F) of this section.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2023, No. 544,§ 4, eff. 8/1/2023. Amended by Act 2021, No. 1051,§ 5, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2021, No. 974,§ 5, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2021, No. 448,§ 6, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2021, No. 448,§ 5, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2021, No. 448,§ 4, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2021, No. 448,§ 3, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2019, No. 473,§ 3, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 398,§ 1, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 258,§ 1, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 199,§ 1, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2017, No. 798,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2017. Acts 1969, No. 465, Art. 6, §§ 4, 5; A.S.A. 1947, §§ 3-604, 3-605; Acts 1997, No. 451, § 7; 1999, No. 1490, § 3; 2001, No. 474, § 1; 2003, No. 994, § 3; 2005, No. 138, § 1; 2005, No. 1677, § 3; 2007, No. 222, § 4; 2007, No. 556, § 1.