New Mexico Statutes Chapter 1. Elections § 1-12-65. Paper ballots; counting and tallying procedures

A. The presiding judge and the election judges, assisted by the election clerks, shall count the number of paper ballots that were not tabulated by the electronic vote tabulator, write the number of such ballots on each copy of the certificate of returns for that polling place and place the paper ballots that were not tabulated by the electronic vote tabulator in an envelope provided for that purpose. The envelope shall not be locked in the ballot box but shall instead be sealed with either a numbered seal or a locking device and transmitted directly to the county clerk for machine-tabulation or hand-tallying of the ballots.

B. The presiding judge and the election judges, assisted by the election clerks, shall count the number of machine-tabulated paper ballots with write-in votes, write the number of such ballots on each copy of the certificate of returns for that polling place and place those paper ballots with write-in votes in an envelope provided for that purpose. The envelope shall not be locked in the ballot box but shall instead be sealed with either a numbered seal or a locking device and transmitted directly to the county clerk for manual counting of the write-in votes.

C. The tallying of paper ballots that were not tabulated by the electronic vote tabulator at the polling place and the counting of ballots with write-in votes shall be in accordance with procedures prescribed by the secretary of state.

D. If the county clerk receives a sealed envelope pursuant to Subsection A or B of this section and the absent voter election board has not adjourned, the sealed envelope shall be logged and transmitted to the absent voter election board to be opened and tallied immediately. If the sealed envelope is received by the county clerk after the absent voter election board has adjourned, the sealed envelope shall be logged and transmitted to be opened and tallied by an election board appointed to assist in the preparation of the county canvass report.