§ 3-4A-20 — Non-affiliated voters in primary elections

Unless a voter, not affiliated with a party, is permitted to participate in the primary election of a political party, the following provisions apply to voters, not affiliated with a party, in primary elections that include non-partisan candidates or public questions:

(1) Election officers shall provide a vote recording device, where applicable, or the appropriate ballot to be marked by an electronically sensible pen or ink, or by means of a stylus or by means of touch or by other electronic means, so that voters not affiliated with a party may vote only those portions of the ballot relating to the nonpartisan candidates and the public questions submitted, or shall provide a ballot containing only provisions for voting for those candidates and upon those issues submitted common to the ballots provided to all voters regardless of political party affiliation, or both.

(2) In counties utilizing electronic voting systems in which votes are recorded by perforating, if vote recording devices are not available for the voters not affiliated with a party, provisions are to be made for sealing the partisan section or sections of the ballot or ballot labels on a vote recording device using temporary seals, thus permitting the voter not affiliated with a party to vote for the nonpartisan section or sections of the ballot or ballot labels.

(3) After a voter not affiliated with a party has voted, temporary seals may be removed and the device may then be used by partisan voters.

Legislative History

2011 Reg. Sess., HB2438; 2011 Reg. Sess., SB495; 2007 Reg. Sess., SB530; 2001 Reg. Sess., HB3066; 2001 Reg. Sess., HB3097; 1990 Reg. Sess., HB4770; 1982 Reg. Sess., SB313; 1969 Reg. Sess., HB513