Section 8-506. Challenges; absentee, military, special federal and special presidential ballots

* 1. During the examination of absentee, military,
  special federal and special presidential voters' ballot  envelopes,  any
  inspector  shall,  and  any  watcher or registered voter properly in the
  polling place may, challenge the casting of any ballot upon  the  ground
  or  grounds  allowed for challenges generally, or that the voter was not
  entitled to cast an  absentee,  military,  special  federal  or  special
  presidential  ballot,  or that the signature on the ballot envelope does
  not correspond to the signature on the registration poll record or  that
  the voter died before the day of the election.
    * NB Effective until January 1, 2010
    * 1. During the examination of absentee, military, special federal and
  special  presidential voters' ballot envelopes, any inspector shall, and
  any watcher or registered voter  properly  in  the  polling  place  may,
  challenge  the  casting of any ballot upon the ground or grounds allowed
  for challenges generally, or (a) that the voter was not entitled to cast
  an absentee, military, special federal or special  presidential  ballot,
  or  (b)  that  notwithstanding the permissive use of titles, initials or
  customary abbreviations of given names,  the  signature  on  the  ballot
  envelope  does  not correspond to the signature on the registration poll
  record, or (c) that the voter died before the day of the election.
    * NB Effective January 1, 2010
    2. The board of inspectors forthwith shall proceed to  determine  each
  challenge.   Unless  the  board  by  majority  vote  shall  sustain  the
  challenge, an inspector shall endorse upon the envelope  the  nature  of
  the   challenge   and   the  words  "not  sustained",  shall  sign  such
  endorsement, and shall proceed to cast the ballot  as  provided  herein.
  Should  the  board, by majority vote, sustain such challenge, the reason
  and the word "sustained" shall be similarly endorsed upon  the  envelope
  and  an inspector shall sign such endorsement. The envelope shall not be
  opened and such envelope shall be returned  unopened  to  the  board  of
  elections. If a challenge is sustained after the ballot has been removed
  from  the  envelope, but before it has been deposited in the ballot box,
  such ballot shall be rejected without being unfolded  or  inspected  and
  shall be returned to the envelope. The board shall immediately enter the
  reason  for  sustaining  the challenge on such envelope and an inspector
  shall sign such endorsement.
    3. If the board of inspectors determines  by  majority  vote  that  it
  lacks  sufficient knowledge and information to determine the validity of
  a challenge, the inspectors shall endorse upon the ballot  envelope  the
  words  "unable  to determine", enter the reason for the challenge in the
  appropriate section of the challenge  report  and  return  the  envelope
  unopened  to  the  board  of  elections.  Such ballots shall be cast and
  canvassed pursuant to the provisions of section 9-209 of this chapter.