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<section article="gel" article_name="Election Law" number="12-108" title_number="12" title_name="Contested Elections" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Recounts">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Duplicate ballot” means a paper ballot that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>is created by a local board for purposes of vote tabulation by an optical scanner because the voter–verifiable paper record submitted by the voter is not acceptable for vote tabulation by an optical scanner; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>is a copy of a voter–verifiable paper record that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>for an absentee ballot returned by mail, reflects the intent of the voter; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>for a provisional ballot, includes only the votes for contests for which the voter is eligible to vote.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Voter–verifiable paper record” has the meaning stated in § 9–102 of this article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In a recount under this subtitle, subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the petitioner shall select the method for conducting the recount.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The petitioner may select only one of the following methods:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>rescanning the ballots using:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the same vote tabulating equipment that was used in the election; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>alternative vote tabulating equipment, if alternative equipment is available and its use is feasible, as determined by the State Board;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a manual recount of voter–verifiable paper records; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>any other recount method approved by the State Administrator.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>A local board shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>preserve the voter–verifiable paper record corresponding to each duplicate ballot that is created; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>store each duplicate ballot that is created together with the corresponding voter–verifiable paper record.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>In a recount under this subtitle, a local board shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>examine the voter–verifiable paper record and duplicate ballot; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>if the voter–verifiable paper record and duplicate ballot do not match, create a new duplicate ballot that accurately reflects the voter’s intent and count that duplicate ballot; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>if the voter–verifiable paper record and duplicate ballot match, count the duplicate ballot.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
