Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15200. Section 15200.
If paper ballots are used in conjunction with this system, counting shall be as provided in Article 5 (commencing with Section 15270) and Article 6 (commencing with Section 15290).
ARTICLE 2. Automated Count in a Central Location [15200. - 15213.]
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC 2.
in effectCal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15201. Section 15201.
(a)
As soon as the polls are closed, the precinct board shall, in the presence of the public do all of the following:
(1)
Seal the container used to transport voted ballots and insure that the precinct number, or in an election conducted using a voter center, the vote center number, is designated on the ballot container.
(2)
Certify, sign, and seal the several packages or envelopes as directed by the elections official.
(3)
By not less than two of their number, deliver the ballot container and packages to the elections
official at the central counting place in the manner prescribed by the elections official. The ballot container and packages shall remain in their exclusive possession until delivered to the elections official.
(b)
This section also applies to ballots counted manually pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 15290).
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15202. Section 15202.
If the ballots are to be counted at a central counting place, no fewer than two precinct board members shall, following the close of the polls, deliver the ballots, in a sealed container, to the central counting place or a designated receiving station. There may be two or more central counting places.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15203. Section 15203.
The vote tabulating device may be located at any place within the state approved by the elections official of the county or other political subdivision using the device. The same device may be jointly owned, borrowed, leased, or used by two or more counties, cities, or other political subdivisions to tabulate ballots cast in any election.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15204. Section 15204.
All proceedings at the central counting place, or counting places, if applicable, shall be open to the view of the public but no person, except one employed and designated for the purpose by the elections official or his or her authorized deputy, shall touch any ballot container. Access to the area where electronic data processing equipment is being operated may be restricted to those persons authorized by the elections official.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15205. Section 15205.
(a)
A person may be employed to count, tally, and certify the ballots if he or she is not a candidate at the election and if he or she satisfies either of the following requirements:
(1)
Has the qualifications required for a precinct board member.
(2)
Is a deputy or employee of either of the following:
(A)
The governing board.
(B)
The elections official.
(b)
No person selected to count ballots need reside in any particular precinct.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15206. Section 15206.
The elections official or any deputy authorized by the elections official may excuse or dismiss any person from any counting board and enforce the order.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15207. Section 15207.
The elections official or authorized deputy shall segregate the persons employed to count the ballots into counting boards. These counting boards shall be deemed to be precinct boards, and are subject to all laws governing precinct boards where ballots are counted at the polling place.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15208. Section 15208.
(a)
Each container of ballots shall be opened and its contents removed. The ballots shall be checked to ascertain if the ballots are properly grouped and shall be arranged, if necessary, so that all similar ballots from the precinct are together.
(b)
Any ballot that
contains personal information, as defined in Section 14287, or is torn, bent, or mutilated shall be segregated in the manner directed by the elections official and a duplicate shall be prepared as provided in Section 15210.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15209. Section 15209.
Any magnetic or electronic storage medium, or copy thereof, used for the ballot tabulation program and any magnetic or electronic storage medium, or copy thereof, containing election results shall be kept in a secure location and shall be retained for 6 months following any local election and 22 months following any federal election or so long thereafter as any contest involving the vote at the local or federal election remains undetermined.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15210. Section 15210.
In preparing the voted ballots for processing, any ballot that is torn, bent, or otherwise defective shall be corrected so that every vote cast by the voter shall be counted by the automatic tabulating equipment. If necessary, a true duplicate copy of the defective ballot shall be made and substituted therefor, following the intention of the voter insofar as it can be ascertained from the defective ballot. All duplicate ballots shall be clearly labeled as a duplicate and shall bear a serial number that shall be recorded on the damaged or defective ballot.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15212. Section 15212.
If voting at all precincts within a county is not conducted using the same voting system, the result as to the precincts not subject to this article shall be determined in accordance with other provisions of this code and the result of the vote at precincts subject to this article shall be determined as provided in this article. The statement of the vote in that case shall represent the consolidation of all the results and the results of the canvass of all vote by mail voter ballots.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 15213. Section 15213.
In case of an emergency in which it becomes impossible to transport the ballots from the precinct to a central counting place, the elections official may direct that the ballots be counted at the precinct. In those cases, counting shall be conducted substantially in accordance with Article 5 (commencing with Section 15270).
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026