New Jersey § 19:52-1

§ 19:52-1.

The district boards of each election district shall meet at the polling place three-quarters

of an hour before the time set for opening of the polls at each election and shall

proceed to arrange the furniture, stationery and voting machine or machines for the

conduct of the election. The district boards shall then and there have the voting machine, ballots and stationery

required to be delivered to them for such election by the officials charged by law

with that duty. The keys to the voting machine shall be delivered to the district election officers

in any manner that the county board of elections or the superintendent of elections

or the municipal clerk, as the case may be, having custody of voting machines, may

determine, at least three-quarters of an hour before the time set for opening the

polls, in a sealed envelope, on which shall be written or printed the number and location

of the voting machine, the number of the seal with which it is sealed, the number

of the green seal with which the emergency ballot box is sealed, and the number registered

on the protective counter or device, as reported by the custodian. The envelope containing the keys shall not be opened until at least two members of

the board who are not members of the same political party shall be present at the

polling place and shall have examined the envelope to see that it has not been opened. Before opening the envelope all election officers present shall examine the number

on the seal on the machine and the number registered on the protective counter, and

shall ascertain if they are the same as the numbers written on the envelope; and

if they are not the same, the machine must not be opened until such county board of

elections or such superintendent of elections or such municipal clerk, as the case

may be, after due notice of such discrepancy, shall have caused such machine to be

re-examined and properly arranged by any person or persons employed or appointed pursuant

to R.S.19:48-6 . If the numbers on the voting machine seal and the protective counter are found to

agree with the numbers on the envelope, the district election officers shall proceed

to open the doors concealing the counters, and each district election officer shall

carefully examine every counter and ascertain whether or not it registers zero (000),

and the same shall be subject to the inspection of official watchers. In addition, each district election officer shall carefully examine the emergency

ballot box to ascertain whether or not it is properly sealed with a numbered green

seal and examine the number to ascertain if it is the same as the number written on

the voting machine key envelope. If the numbers are not the same, the county board of elections, the superintendent

of elections, or the municipal clerk, as the case may be, shall be notified of the

discrepancy. The machine shall remain locked against voting until the polls are formally opened

and shall not be operated except by voters in voting. If any counter is found not to register zero (000) the district board shall immediately

notify such county board of elections or such superintendent of elections or such

municipal clerk, as the case may be, who shall, if practicable, cause such counter

to be adjusted at zero (000) by any person or persons employed or appointed pursuant

to R.S.19:48-6 . If it shall be impracticable for such person or persons to arrive in time to so

adjust such counter before the time set for opening the polls, the district election

officers shall immediately make a written statement of the designating letter and

number of such counter, together with the number registered thereon, and shall sign

and post same upon the wall of the polling room, where it shall remain throughout

election day, and in filling out the statement of canvass, they shall subtract such

number from the number registered thereon at the close of the polls. Each district election officer shall carefully examine the provisional ballot bag

to ascertain that it is properly sealed with a numbered security seal and whether

it has been subjected to tampering. If the elections officer discovers evidence of tampering, the county board of elections,

the superintendent of elections, or the municipal clerk, as the case may be, shall

be so notified immediately.