32-230. Receiving board; members; appointment; procedure; qualification; vacancy; inspectors; appointment.

(1) As provided in subsection (4) of this section, the precinct committeeman and committeewoman of each political party shall appoint a receiving board consisting of three judges of election and two clerks of election. The chairperson of the county central committee of each political party shall send the names of the appointments to the county clerk no later than February 1 prior to the primary election.

(2) If no names are submitted by the chairperson, the county clerk shall appoint judges or clerks of election from the appropriate political party. Judges and clerks of election may be selected at random from a cross section of the population of the county. All qualified citizens shall have the opportunity to be considered for service. All qualified citizens shall fulfill their obligation to serve as judges or clerks of election as prescribed by the county clerk. No citizen shall be excluded from service as a result of discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status. No citizen shall be excluded from service unless excused by reason of ill health or other good and sufficient reason.

(3) The county clerk may allow persons serving on a receiving board to serve for part of the time the polls are open and appoint other persons to serve on the same receiving board for the remainder of the time the polls are open.

(4) In each precinct at any one time, one judge and one clerk of election shall be appointed from the political party casting the highest number of votes in the county for Governor or for President of the United States in the immediately preceding general election, one judge and one clerk shall be appointed from the political party casting the next highest number of votes in the county for Governor or for President of the United States in the immediately preceding general election, and one judge shall be appointed from the political party casting the third highest number of votes in the county for Governor or for President of the United States in the immediately preceding general election. If the political party casting the third highest number of votes cast less than ten percent of the total vote cast in the county at the immediately preceding general election, the political party casting the highest number of votes at the immediately preceding general election shall be entitled to two judges and one clerk.

(5) The county clerk may appoint registered voters to serve in case of a vacancy among any of the judges or clerks of election or in addition to the judges and clerks in any precinct when necessary to meet any situation that requires additional judges and clerks. Such appointees may include registered voters unaffiliated with any political party. Such appointees shall serve at subsequent or special elections as determined by the county clerk.

(6) The county clerk may appoint an elector residing outside the county as a precinct inspector, district inspector, judge of election, or clerk of election if the elector resides in a county which conducts all elections by mail pursuant to section 32-960.

(7) If authorized by the Secretary of State and registered voters of the county are unavailable, the county clerk may appoint an elector residing outside the county as a precinct inspector, district inspector, judge of election, or clerk of election.

(8) The county clerk may appoint a person who is at least sixteen years old but is not eligible to register to vote as a clerk of election. Such clerk of election shall meet the requirements of subsection (1) of section 32-231, except that such clerk shall not be required to be a registered voter. No more than one clerk of election appointed under this subsection shall serve at any precinct. A clerk of election appointed under this subsection shall be considered a registered voter who is not affiliated with a political party for purposes of this section.

Source:Laws 1994, LB 76, § 50; Laws 1997, LB 764, § 22; Laws 2002, LB 1054, § 11; Laws 2003, LB 357, § 3; Laws 2003, LB 358, § 8; Laws 2007, LB646, § 1; Laws 2019, LB411, § 33; Laws 2022, LB843, § 14.

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