Manual Tally Standards :: California Secretary of State

California Code of Regulations

Title 2. Administration

Division 7. Secretary of State

Chapter 4.6 Manual Tally Standards

20296. Purpose of This Chapter.

The purpose of this Chapter is to provide standards and requirements for conducting a manual tally of votes cast by voters.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 15270, 15270.1 and 15270.3, Elections Code; and Section 12172.5, Government Code.

20297. Definitions.

As used in this Chapter, the following words have the following meanings:

A “manual tally” is the process of counting the votes cast by voters by hand-to-eye, human interpretation of voter markings from the corresponding ballot, under the provisions of Chapter 4.5. As used in this Chapter, “manual tally” has the same meaning as “manual count” and “manual vote count” as those terms are used in Elections Code sections 15270.1 and 15270.3.
“Chain of Custody” means a process used to track the movement and control of all election materials related to the conduct of a manual tally through its lifecycle by documenting each person and organization who handles the manual tally election materials, the date and time it was collected or transferred, and the purpose of the transfer. A break in the chain of custody refers to a period during which control of the manual tally election materials is uncertain and during which actions taken with the manual tally elections materials are unaccounted for or unconfirmed.
A “counting board” is the group(s) of individuals appointed by the elections official pursuant to Elections Code sections 339, 15205, 15207, and 15290 to participate in the conduct of the manual tally of votes cast.
A “cumulating board” is the group(s) of county election employees appointed by the elections official to participate in the conduct of the manual tally of votes cast to compile the total results from the counting boards for each contest.
A “hash mark” refers to a tally mark, which is a form of numeral used for counting.
“Qualified political party” means a political party qualified pursuant to Elections Code, Division 5 of the California Elections Code.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 338, 339, 15102, 15205, 15207, 15270, 15270.1 and 15270.3, Elections Code.

20298. General Provisions.

An elections official may conduct a manual tally of the ballots voted in an election by utilizing one or more of the following methods:
1. A full manual tally, which counts all contests on the ballot, at a county designated central return location(s) pursuant to Elections Code section 15270.1;
  1. For any election consolidated pursuant to Division 1 or Division 10 of the Elections Code, the registered voters who are eligible to participate in that election for the purpose of Elections Code section 15270.1(b)(1) and (2) shall include all eligible voters for the consolidated election.
  2. For any election not voted for wholly within one jurisdiction, the registered voters who are eligible to participate in that election for the purpose of Elections Code section 15270.1(b)(1) and (2) shall include all eligible voters for the entire contest.
2. A manual tally recount, which counts a specified number of contests on the ballot, as determined by the elections official;
3. A 1 percent manual tally pursuant to Elections Code section 15360; or
4. A full manual tally, which counts all contests on the ballot, at a county designated central return location(s) pursuant to Elections Code section 15270.3.
  1. If an elections official conducts a manual tally pursuant to this subsection 20298(a)(4), then the elections official shall comply with section 20306 of these regulations.
If an elections official conducts a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection (a), the elections official shall:
1. Conduct the manual tally at a county designated central return location(s) pursuant to Elections Code sections 15260 and 15261. Ballots shall not be tallied at a voting location, except for manual tallies conducted pursuant to Elections Code sections 15270-15281. The location(s) of the manual tally selected by the elections official shall be large enough to accommodate the presence of all counting boards, other manual tally staff, and election observers. If multiple manual tally locations are selected and designated by the elections official, every location shall have sufficient space:
  1. To accommodate the presence of all counting boards, supervisors, and other manual tally staff assigned to that location; and
  2. For election observers; and
  3. For chain of custody and continuous security.
2. Process vote-by-mail ballots received prior to election day, such as opening of envelopes and adjudication, beginning at 5:00 p.m. the day before the election but under no circumstance shall vote-by-mail ballots be counted prior to the close of polls on election day pursuant to Elections Code section 15101(b). However, beginning 29 days before the election, the elections official may process vote-by-mail return ballot envelopes, such as signature verification and updating voter history records, pursuant to Elections Code section 15101(a).
3. Not begin the manual tally until the close of polls on election day pursuant to Elections Code sections 15150 and 15152.
4. Count all ballots pursuant to Division 15 of the Elections Code.
5. Comply with the provisions of this Chapter.
If an elections official conducts a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (a), the manual tally shall be conducted pursuant to Chapter 4.8 of these regulations.
If an elections official conducts a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (a), the manual tally shall be conducted pursuant to Chapter 4.7 of these regulations.
The chain of custody of ballots shall be maintained at all times, including, but not limited to, during transport, serializing, scanning, sorting and manual counting.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 15101, 15150, 15152, 15260, 15261, 15270, 15270.1, 15270.2, 15270.3, 15271, 15272 and 15273, Elections Code.

20299. Manual Tally Plan

Prior to conducting a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of section 20298 the elections official shall submit a Manual Tally Plan to the Secretary of State no later than 80 calendar days prior to the date of the election.
The Secretary of State shall approve or reject the Manual Tally Plan, no later than 70 calendar days prior to the date of the election.
The Secretary of State shall reject a Manual Tally Plan if:
1. It is missing any of the specified requirements listed below in subsection (f).
2. The provided requirements lack sufficient detail to fully describe each element listed below in subsection (f).
3. Any element of the Manual Tally Plan does not comply with state or federal law.
4. The Manual Tally Plan is insufficient to ensure that the elections official will be able to comply with state or federal law.
If the Manual Tally Plan is rejected the Secretary of State shall provide a written list of any deficiencies in the plan and:
1. The elections official shall have 10 calendar days from the date of the rejection to amend and resubmit the plan to the Secretary of State.
2. The Secretary of State shall then have 10 calendar days from the date of resubmission to approve or reject the resubmitted Manual Tally Plan. If the Manual Tally Plan is rejected after resubmittal, the elections official shall tabulate the ballots using a certified voting system and consistent with state and federal law.
If the Manual Tally Plan is approved, the elections official shall:
1. Post the Manual Tally Plan in a conspicuous place at the office of the elections official, the location(s) where the manual tally takes place, and on the elections official’s website, if available. If the elections official’s website is available, the Manual Tally Plan shall be posted on the website within 5 calendar days of the Secretary of State approval.
2. Provide status updates to the Secretary of State on the implementation of the Manual Tally Plan at regular intervals:
  1. At a minimum of every 15 calendar days from the date of approval until election day.
  2. Weekly from election day until submission of the certified statement of the results pursuant to Elections Code section 15375.
  3. If sufficient progress in implementation has not been made and it appears to the Secretary of State that the elections official’s compliance with state and federal laws is at risk, the Secretary of State’s approval of the Manual Tally Plan shall be revoked unless the jurisdiction can quickly remediate the lack of progress through actions like hiring additional staff, increasing hours of operation, or modifying the manual tally process, and the elections official shall be required to:
    1. Use a voting system certified by the Secretary of State for purposes of tabulating and reporting election results; and
    2. Implement the contingency plan as required in subsection 20299(f)(3) of these regulations.
3. At least 15 calendar days before election day, certify to the Secretary of State that the jurisdiction has successfully obtained the resources identified in its Manual Tally Plan, including but not limited to staff, plans, facilities, security measures, and scanning and tabulating capabilities. If such certification is not provided, the Secretary of State’s approval of the Manual Tally Plan shall be revoked, and the jurisdiction shall be required to use a voting system certified by the Secretary of State for purposes of tabulating and reporting election results.
The Manual Tally Plan shall include, but not be limited to:
1. The name of the jurisdiction submitting the manual tally plan and the contact information for the elections official, which shall include a phone number and email address.
2. A detailed description of the outreach and education that will be conducted to voters about how the voters’ ballots will be counted and the timing for election results. The description shall include details on how the outreach and education will meet accessibility and language requirements pursuant to state and federal law.
3. A detailed description of how the manual tally will be conducted in order to meet the deadlines set forth in these regulations and the Elections Code. The elections official shall also include a detailed description of the contingency process in the event that deadlines set forth in these regulations are not met or if the manual tally plan approval is revoked.
4. The daily work schedule for the manual tally, which shall include the hours of operation, daily estimated number of ballots to be processed, approximate breaks, and lunch times.
5. A detailed description of how the counting boards, supervisors, cumulating boards, and any other staff assigned to participate in the manual tally will be trained and organized to conduct the tally.
6. The total number of counting boards, supervisors, cumulating boards, and any other assigned staff that will be required to complete the manual tally accurately, timely, and securely. The total number shall include sufficient back-up staff to account for unknowns or uncertainties, which includes but is not limited to unexpected high voter turnout, failure for counting board members to report for counting, and slowness in counting board performance.
7. A detailed description of the process to check in, check out, and monitor the members of the counting boards, supervisors, cumulating boards, and any other staff assigned to participate in the manual tally. This plan shall include a description of how the use of cell phones, cameras, and audio or video recording devices in the location where the manual tally is conducted shall be restricted.
8. A detailed description of the physical location(s) where the manual tally will be conducted. The description shall include:
  1. The security at the location for ballots, forms, counting boards, supervisors, cumulating boards, and other staff assigned to participate in the manual tally; and
  2. The planned setup of the location, including but not limited to the spacing of the tables and designated observation spaces.
9. A detailed description of the process to prepare the ballots for counting, including but not limited to the sequential serial numbering of ballots, capturing of ballot images, and sorting the ballots into batches.
10. A detailed description of how the chain of custody will be maintained for the ballots, manual tally forms, and cumulating board documentation, including how they will be collected, transported, delivered, distributed, monitored, stored, and secured.
11. A detailed description of how the manual tally will work in conjunction with the use of the voting system. This description shall include at a minimum how ballot set up, accessible voting devices, and tabulation will work together in accordance with the certified voting system use procedures, including compliance with Elections Code section 15003.
12. A detailed description of how the manual tally results will be verified and audited using a certified voting system tabulator.
13. A detailed description of the process to distribute, monitor, collect, and secure the manual tally forms as described in section 20301 of these regulations.
14. A description of the distribution, monitoring and collection of writing devices to be provided by the elections official for the counting boards to use when conducting a manual tally. No member of a counting board shall use or bring their own writing device to the physical location where the ballots will be counted. The writing device shall be provided by the elections officials and the assigned color shall change daily for security purposes. Additionally, the elections official may limit the presence of personal items, such as food and beverages, backpacks, purses, and bags.
15. A detailed description of how the elections official will provide reasonable access to the manual tally process for observation consistent with Title 2, Division 7, Chapter 8.2 of the California Code of Regulations.
16. A detailed description of how the elections official will record, document, and resolve issues and discrepancies, which shall at a minimum include the difference in totals between the two tally keepers, the difference in totals between the tally keepers and the cumulating board, and the difference in totals between what was calculated from the manual tally forms and the certified voting system tabulator results during the conduct of the manual tally.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 15003, 15270, 15270.1, 15270.2, 15271, 15272, 15273, 15274, 15275, 15276, 15277, 15278, 15278.5, 15279 and 15280, Elections Code; and Section 12172.5, Government Code.

20300. Counting Boards.

When conducting a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 20298, the elections official shall establish a sufficient number of counting boards to conduct the manual tally.
For each contest (i.e., office or proposition) to be counted, the counting board shall consist of no less than four individuals and be bipartisan in composition, to include representation from more than one qualified political party and representation from voters with no party preference, if feasible.
The individuals appointed to each counting board shall meet the same general provisions and qualifications of a precinct board member as outlined in Elections Code sections 12300-12303, 15205, 15207, and 15290. The appointment of counting boards shall comply with all applicable:
1. County ordinances, codes, and policies; and
2. State and federal laws.
The roles of the counting board members shall be as follows at all times:
1. At least one counting board member shall serve as the reader and shall read from the ballot.
2. At least one counting board member shall serve as the observer and shall keep watch of each vote read to check for any possible error or omission on the part of the reader.
3. At least two of the counting board members shall each keep a manual tally form prescribed by the elections official. Each tally keeper of the counting board shall, with the provided writing device, record a hash mark for each name or measure as the name of each candidate or measure voted upon is read aloud by the reader and verified by the observer from the respective ballot.
Prior to conducting the manual tally, each member of a counting board shall complete and sign a declaration of intent to faithfully discharge the counting board duties. Each counting board member shall do so in the presence of the elections official on a form prescribed by the elections official. The elections official shall countersign the declaration. The declaration shall be in the following form:

State of California
County of
⎱
⎰
ss.
I do hereby solemnly declare that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, and that I will to the best of my ability, faithfully discharge the duties of counting board member for the counting board number______ for the election to be held on ______, 20__.

Signed in the presence of _____ (Signature) _____
on ______, 20__.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 12320, 15102, 15270, 15270.1, 15270.3, 15271, 15272, 15273, 15275, 15276, 15277, 15278, 15278.5, 15279, 15280 and 15290, Elections Code.

20301. Manual Tally Forms.

When conducting a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 20298, the elections official shall prescribe and provide the forms for tallying the results of the manual tally. The manual tally form shall contain all the following:
1. The title of the election and date on which the election was conducted.
2. Name of jurisdiction conducting the election and manual tally of votes.
3. The precinct, serialized ballot numbers, and ballot stack number.
4. For a presidential primary election, the manual tally form must distinguish between qualified political party ballots and nonpartisan ballots, which each type of ballot must be tallied separately.
5. The name of each candidate, including any qualified write-in candidates, voted for and the specific office for which each candidate is voted for. The offices shall be listed on the tally form in the same order as they appear on the ballot.
6. A list of each measure being voted upon in the same order as the ballot type being tallied.
7. Sufficient space to permit the tallying of no more than 100 ballots per stack, including the full vote cast for each candidate and for and against each measure, per assigned stack of ballots.
8. Sufficient space to permit the tallying of no more than 100 ballots per stack, including all undervotes and overvotes cast for each candidate and for and against each measure.
9. A certificate of performance to be filled in upon completion of the each assigned ballot stack, which includes space for the printed and signed names of each counting board member, their designated role, and the date and time signed.
10. Designated space for the manual tally cumulating board to sign and acknowledge receipt of ballot stacks and manual tally forms, which includes space for the printed and signed names of each cumulating board member, and the date and time signed.
11. A watermark provided by the elections official that shall change daily for security purposes.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 15270, 15270.1, 15270.3, 15271, 15272, 15273, 15275, 15276, 15277, 15278, 15278.5 and 15279, Elections Code.

20302. Other Responsibilities.

When conducting a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 20298, in addition to the appointment of counting board members the elections official shall appoint:

At least one supervisor for every four counting boards, to oversee the overall conduct of the manual tally, including but not limited to tracking the progress of the manual tally, ensuring compliance with the requirements of this Chapter, inclusive, of this regulation and reporting any issues or concerns to the elections official.
At least one supervisor for each location to supervise and ensure compliance with the public observation of the manual tally, including, without limitation, ensuring that the public is able to observe the manual tally and that the public does not distract or interfere with the conduct of the manual tally.
A cumulating board pursuant to section 20304 of these regulations.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 15102, 15207, 15270, 15270.1 and 15270.3, Elections Code.

20303. Conducting a Manual Tally.

Prior to beginning the manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 20298, the elections official shall:
1. Sequentially serialize each ballot;
2. Electronically capture the ballot images on a scanner certified pursuant to Elections Code section 19202;
3. Sort each ballot by precinct;
4. Further sort the ballots by qualified political party and nonpartisan ballots if the ballots are for a presidential primary election; and
5. Divide the ballots into separate stacks containing not more than 100 ballots per stack. Each stack must be read and tallied separately. Each stack of ballots shall be:
  1. Secured with a rubber band, binder clip, or equivalent; and
  2. Clearly labeled and numbered consecutively.
The elections official may process all ballots through a tabulator certified pursuant to Elections Code section 19202, prior to beginning the manual tally.
At all times, no fewer than two members of the counting board shall maintain chain of custody of ballots during the manual tally.
While handling the ballots or participating in the manual tally, all individuals may be asked to wear medical style exam gloves provided by the elections official.
At all times while handling the ballots or participating in the manual tally, the tally keepers shall be the only members of the counting board to utilize the writing device provided by the elections official.
Each counting board shall be positioned at a designated counting area with sufficient spacing to minimize interference with other counting boards.
The ballot shall be tallied one contest at a time within each batch, unless a different method or process is authorized by the elections official.
All undervotes and overvotes for all contests shall be tallied.
A manual tally of the ballots shall be tallied separately by each tally keeper of the counting board for each contest on the ballot. The results of each tally keeper’s form for each contest must match exactly. If the results do not match, the counting shall be conducted again until the results match. If the tallies do not match after the third manual tally count of the contest, the elections official shall have a process in place to review and resolve the discrepancy.
Unless otherwise directed by the elections official, the counting board supervisors shall distribute the writing devices, manual tally forms, and one stack of ballots to each counting board at a time, as directed by the elections official.
The counting board shall verify that the precinct and serialized numbers recorded on the manual tally form are the same as what is contained in the stack provided by the counting board supervisor prior to counting.
The reading of the ballots shall be conducted as follows:
1. The reader of the counting board shall read from the ballot the choice of the voter.
2. After reading each ballot, the reader shall place the counted ballot in a separate pile on the table in a manner to distinguish the counted ballots from the uncounted ballots. After each stack of ballots is counted, the ballots shall be resecured.
3. The observer shall observe the reader and ensure the reader is calling the votes correctly.
The tallying of the ballots shall be conducted as follows:
1. The tally keepers shall record the votes on the prescribed manual tally form. If the election is a presidential primary election, the tallied votes shall be noted on the manual tally form that is designated for the applicable qualified political party or the nonpartisan manual tally form.
2. As directed by the elections official, the tally keepers shall manually tabulate on the manual tally form by either:
  1. Placing a short vertical hashmark opposite the name of the candidate or ballot measure voted for the first through fourth vote for the same candidate or ballot measure. For every fifth vote for the same candidate or ballot measure, the tally keepers shall place a horizontal hash mark through the previous four vertical hashmarks; or
  2. Placing a diagonal slash (/) through the numbered tally box under the name of the candidate or ballot measure voted for. For every fifth vote for the same candidate or ballot measure, the tally keepers shall place an (X) through the numbered tally box.
3. Once each counting board has read and tallied one contest, the tally keepers shall verify that the total number of votes for each candidate or ballot measure match, prior to moving onto the next contest.
4. If a tally keeper makes a mistake while marking the manual tally form, the counting board shall halt counting and notify the supervisor. If the supervisor determines that the manual tally shall be halted and the manual tally restarted, the supervisor shall provide the counting board’s tally keepers with two new manual tally forms and the counting board shall start the manual tally over. The supervisor shall document on the voided manual tally forms the reason for why the forms were voided. All manual tally forms, including voided forms, shall be kept together with the stack of ballots.
5. If the tally matches for the contest, then the counting board may proceed to counting the next contest.
6. If the tally does not match for the contest:
  1. The counting board shall notify the counting board supervisor of the discrepancy.
  2. The counting board supervisor shall clearly document the discrepancy on the manual tally forms and provide the counting board with a new set of manual tally forms. The counting board shall count the contest a second time. If the tallies do not match after the second manual tally count of the contest, the counting board shall notify the counting board supervisor, who shall clearly document the discrepancy on the manual tally forms. The counting board supervisor shall provide the counting board with a new set of manual tally forms and shall join the counting board to assist with the third manual tally of the contest. If the tallies do not match after the third manual tally count of the contest, the elections official shall have a process in place to review and resolve the discrepancy.
  3. All manual tally forms shall be clearly marked and retained with the corresponding stack of ballots.
Once all contests for all ballots in the stack of ballots have been tallied and all results verified, the counting board shall:
1. Draw lines through the empty spaces on the manual tally form.
2. Fill in the certificate of performance section.
3. Secure all ballots, manual tally forms, and writing devices, and return them as directed by the elections official.
The distribution of ballot stacks and tallying shall continue until all ballots are manually counted.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 15102, 15270, 15270.1, 15270.3, 15271, 15272, 15273, 15275, 15276, 15277, 15278, 15278.5, 15279 and 15280, Elections Code.

20304. Manual Tally Cumulating Board.

When conducting a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 20298, the elections official shall appoint a board to cumulate the results of the manual tally forms comprised of county elections employees.
The manual tally cumulating board shall compile the results by:
1. Hand, without use of any mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system, or its software; or
2. The use of a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software or any combination of these, that has been conditionally approved or certified by the Secretary of State pursuant to Elections Code sections 362 and 19202; or
3. A combination of subsection 20304(b)(1) and subsection 20304(b)(2) above.
Once a counting board has completed the manual tally of all contests on their assigned stack of ballots and returned them to the counting board supervisor, the stacks of ballots and manual tally forms shall be provided to the manual tally cumulating board.
Upon receipt of each stack of ballots and manual tally forms, the manual tally cumulating board shall maintain a cumulative total by precinct for each contest being counted pursuant to Elections Code section 15321.
The elections official shall report the results of the manual tally cumulating board in compliance with section 20306 of these regulations, if applicable.
The manual tally cumulating board shall sign the designated space on each manual tally form once the results have been compiled and recorded. All stacks of ballots and their associated manual tally forms shall then be secured by the elections official.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 362, 15270, 15270.1, 15270.3, 15272, 15275, 15276, 15277, 15278, 15278.5, 15279, 15280, 15281 and 19202, Elections Code.

20305. Auditing the Manual Tally.

When conducting a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 20298, the elections official shall use a voting system tabulator certified pursuant to Elections Code section 19202 to conduct an audit of all ballots counted in the manual tally.
1. The audit shall be performed prior to the certification of the official canvass of the vote.
2. The elections official shall conduct a test or series of tests pursuant to Elections Code section 15000.
3. All ballots shall be audited using the certified voting system tabulator.
4. Any discrepancies between the results of the certified voting system tabulator and the manual tally shall be clearly documented.
5. A 1 percent manual tally pursuant to Elections Code section 15360 is not required.
In the event that the Manual Tally Plan has been revoked by the Secretary of State or the elections official determines that completing the manual tally is not feasible:
1. Any ballots that have been manually tallied shall be audited pursuant to subsection 20305(a); and
2. Any remaining ballots shall be tabulated using a voting system tabulator certified pursuant to Elections Code section 19202 and audited pursuant to Elections Code section 15360.
3. Any discrepancies between the results of the certified voting system tabulator and the 1 percent manual tally shall be clearly documented.
The official conducting the election shall include a report on the results of the audit in the certification of the official canvass of the vote. This report shall identify any discrepancies between the machine count and the manual tally and a description of how each of these discrepancies was resolved.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 362, 15270, 15270.1, 15270.3, 15277, 15278, 15360 and 19202, Elections Code.

20306. Reporting Elections Results by Manual Tally.

When conducting a manual tally pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of section 20298 for any state or federal election, the elections official shall submit to the Secretary of State through key data entry:
1. The semi-official canvass results pursuant to Elections Code section 353.5.
2. Updates to election results pursuant to Elections Code section 15302(e).
3. The official canvass results pursuant to Elections Code section 335.5.
4. The statement of vote and any supplement to the statement of vote pursuant to Elections Code section 15374.
Following the closing of the polls, the elections official shall submit to the Secretary of State through key data entry a detailed semifinal official canvass report of their cumulative election result totals for each contest and ballot measure as defined in Elections Code section 353.5 and set forth in Elections Code section 15151. The report shall include all of the following:
1. The date and time of the report.
2. The number of precincts reporting and ballots cast.
3. Cumulative vote totals for every contest and ballot measure, as prescribed in Elections Code section 15151
4. For presidential primary elections, vote results for Democratic and Republican presidential candidates by each congressional district within the county’s jurisdiction, including the number of precincts reporting and votes cast within each congressional district.
5. For multiple-county district contests, the number of precincts reporting with ballots cast for each multiple-county district contest(s).
6. For special elections only, the number of registered voters contained in that special election jurisdiction.
The official canvass shall commence no later than the Thursday following the election, and for state or statewide elections shall result in a report of results to the Secretary of State, pursuant to Elections Code section 15301.
During the official canvass period, the elections official shall submit to the Secretary of State, through key data entry, any updated election results on the same day that the elections official publicly releases the updated results.
At the end of the official canvass period as defined in Elections Code section 335.5, the elections official shall submit to the Secretary of State, through key data entry, the statement of vote of their cumulative election result totals for each contest and ballot measure and set forth in Elections Code section 15374. The report shall include:
1. All of the above information in subsection (c) of section 20306; and
2. The total vote-by-mail ballots cast.
At the end of the official canvass period as defined in Elections Code section 335.5, the elections official shall submit to the Secretary of State through key data entry the supplement to the statement of vote of their cumulative election result totals for each contest and ballot measure and set forth in Elections Code section 15502. The report shall include:
1. The date and time of the report; and
2. A breakdown of vote totals for every contest and ballot measure, as prescribed in Elections Code section 15502.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 335.5, 353.5, 6020, 6220, 6420, 6461, 15000, 15150, 15151, 15270.2, 15270.3, 15301, 15305, 15371, 15372, 15373, 15374, 15375, 15501 and 15502, Elections Code.

20307. Observing the Manual Tally.

All observations of a manual tally shall be conducted pursuant to Title 2, Division 7, Chapter 8.2 of the California Code of Regulations.

Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code; and Section 15270.2, Elections Code. Reference: Sections 15270, 15270.1, 15270.3 and 15272, Elections Code.

Manual Tally Standards