Included in this section are the following topics:
Vote by Mail (Absentee) Ballot & Mail
Precinct Counts
Certification Process
Election Night Unofficial Results
Poll Precinct Counts
Polling Places
POLLING PLACES open at 7:00 A.M. and close at 8:00 P.M. on Election Day. The Elections Office has staff on duty throughout the day to answer questions and assist voters. Tulare County voters inquiring about the location of their polling place or about their eligibility to vote may call the Tulare County Elections Office collect (559) 733-6275.
CERTIFICATION PROCESS: Approximately two to three months before the election diagnostics are run on each ballot counting unit to be sure the devices will correctly read all voting positions.
Election specific "test ballots" are prepared about one month before the election. Every memory card that has been programmed for the election is then loaded into a counting device and the "test ballots" are tabulated. A certification board composed of county personnel thoroughly checks the "test" results for each memory card to make sure the cards have been correctly programmed. "Test" results for each memory card are also loaded into the main computer and "test" reports are printed to verify that results are being accumulated correctly. Upon completion of the certification review prior to statewide elections a copy of the ballot counting program parameters is prepared and sent to the Secretary of State's Office, which holds the data for six months as required by the California Elections Code 15001.
The tested memory cards are then inserted into the precinct counting devices. Each memory card is sealed into a counting device with a tamper proof seal. The seal number and counting device serial number are recorded on a security log.
VOTE BY MAIL (ABSENTEE) BALLOT & MAIL PRECINCT COUNTS: One week prior to Election Day after all certification testing has been completed and the test results have been certified, Elections Office Deputies will begin to process Vote by Mail and mail precinct ballots. This process which is open to public view will be continued between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. daily (except for Saturday and Sunday) through the day of the election. When the polls close at 8:00 P.M. on Election Day absentee ballot and mail precinct counts will be the first results available.
POLL PRECINCT COUNTS: Tulare County uses the Accu-Vote precinct tabulation system. The Accu-Vote device is a small electronic counting unit which sits on top of a ballot box. The device internally records the votes throughout the day as each voted ballot is inserted into the ballot box. As soon as the precinct officials at each voting center close the polls the voting results which have been accumulated on a memory card will be transmitted to the central election office via modem. The Tulare County Elections Office estimates that final election night results should be available by approximately 10:00 P.M.
After the precinct officials modem in the results for their voting center they must deliver the voted ballots in a sealed container and all other official election supplies to their designated "Return Center". Return center deputies transport the ballots and supplies to the Elections Office.
ELECTION NIGHT UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: All election night results are UNOFFICIAL. The Official Final Results will not be available until the canvassing process is completed.