§ 22-9-125 — Alternate procedures for collecting and counting absentee ballots

(a) The board of county commissioners may elect to adopt
one (1) or both of the following alternate procedures for
casting, collecting and counting absentee ballots:
(i) Direct that absentee ballots shall be delivered
to and counted by at least three (3) judges appointed for that
purpose under W.S. 22-8-107 instead of the procedures specified
in this chapter for the delivery of absentee ballots to the
separate precincts or designated counting centers. However, if
this alternate procedure is used, the judges shall record the
results by precinct and shall immediately certify the results to
the county clerk;
(ii) Direct that an absentee polling place may be
established in the courthouse or other public building which is
equipped to accommodate voters from all districts and precincts
within the county and shall be open the same hours as the
courthouse on normal business days during the time period
allowed for absentee voting. If this alternate procedure is
used, the county clerk may also establish in one (1) or more
public buildings within the county additional satellite absentee
polling places to accommodate voters. A satellite absentee
polling place shall be open only on the dates and at the times
specified by the county clerk during the time period allowed for
absentee voting.
(b) In the case of electronic voting systems using either
alternate procedure provided in subsection (a) of this section,
the ballots may be tabulated automatically on election day and
the ballot counts shall be entered at the designated counting
center at the time the polls close on election day.
(c) If either alternate voting procedure provided in
subsection (a) of this section is sought to be used, the
secretary of state is authorized to adopt rules and regulations
to guard against abuses of the elective franchise to include
such matters as contained in W.S. 22-26-113 through 22-26-115.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section and any
other mandatory procedures for counting absentee ballots under
this chapter, the county clerk may choose to prepare and process
absentee ballots the Thursday or Friday immediately preceding
election day, provided:
(i) Any county clerk electing to use this method of
preparing and processing absentee ballots shall first notify the
secretary of state;
(ii) The county clerk shall notify each political
party of the date, time and place that absentee ballot
preparation and processing will occur. The notice shall include
information on in-person observation of the process, including
any procedures regarding the observation;
(iii) No candidate or candidate's committee
chairperson or treasurer shall be allowed to observe the
preparation and processing of absentee ballots under paragraph
(ii) of this subsection;
(iv) No results of absentee ballots prepared and
processed under this subsection shall be made known, printed,
released or provided to any person and the results shall not be
incorporated into the final vote count in any manner until after
the polls close on election day;
(v) No person observing the preparation and
processing or performing the preparation and processing of
absentee ballots under paragraph (ii) of this subsection shall
be allowed to have in their possession any personal electronic
device, except a device for medical necessity, within ten (10)
feet of the area where the preparation and processing is
occurring at any time while preparation and processing is
occurring;
(vi) The secretary of state shall adopt rules for the
preparing and processing of absentee ballots under this
subsection.