[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 7]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR717.12]

[Page 73]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                            CHAPTER VII--FARM
                SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 717--HOLDING OF REFERENDA--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 717.12  Community referendum committee's canvass of ballots.

    Immediately after the polls are closed, the community referendum 
committee shall open the ballot box and canvass the ballots cast. The 
canvass of the ballots shall be kept open to the public. A ballot shall 
be considered as a spoiled ballot if it is mutilated or marked in such a 
way that it is not possible to determine with certainty how the ballot 
was intended to be counted on a particular question. The envelope 
containing the challenged ballots shall not be opened. The total number 
of ballots issued as shown on the register of voters shall be determined 
and the total number of ballots cast, including the spoiled and 
challenged ballots, shall be determined. The number of ballots cast in 
favor of and the number of ballots cast in opposition to the question on 
which the referendum was held shall be determined. The spoiled ballots 
and challenged ballots shall not be considered in favor of or against 
the question. If any member of the community referendum committee should 
see or learn how any person besides himself voted, whether or not the 
ballot was challenged, spoiled, or otherwise, he shall not disclose such 
knowledge to a fellow committeeman or any other person except in an 
investigation conducted under this part.