Before the polls open, the officers of election at each precinct shall mark, for each person on the absentee voter applicant list, the letters "AB" (meaning absentee ballot) in the voting record column on the pollbook. The pollbook may be so marked prior to election day by the general registrar, the secretary of the electoral board, or staff under the direction of the general registrar or the secretary, or when the pollbook is produced by the State Board pursuant to § 24.2-404. If the pollbook has been marked prior to election day, before the polls open the officers of election at each precinct shall check the marks for accuracy and make any additions or corrections required.

The chief officer of election shall keep the copy of the absentee voter applicant list in the polling place as a public record open for inspection upon request at all times while the polls are open.

If a voter, whose name appears on the absentee voter applicant list, has not returned an unused ballot and offers to vote in his precinct, the officers of election in the precinct shall determine the matter pursuant to §§ 24.2-653.1 and 24.2-708.

Immediately after the close of the polls, the container of absentee ballots shall be opened by the officers of election. As each ballot envelope is removed from the container, the name of the voter shall be called and checked as if the voter were voting in person. If the voter is found entitled to vote, an officer shall mark the voter's name on the pollbook with the first or next consecutive number from the voter count form, or shall enter that the voter has voted if the pollbook is in electronic form. The ballot envelope shall then be opened, and the ballot deposited in the ballot container without being unfolded or examined. If the voter is found not entitled to vote, the unopened envelope shall be rejected. An unopened envelope shall not be rejected on the sole basis of a voter's failure to provide in the statement on the back of the unopened envelope his full middle name or his middle initial, unless the voter also failed to provide his full first and last name. An unopened envelope shall not be rejected on the sole basis of a voter's failure to provide the date, or any part of the date, including the year, on which he signed the statement printed on the back of the envelope. At least two officers of election, one representing each political party, shall write and sign a statement of the cause for rejection on the envelope or on an attachment to the envelope.

When all ballots have been accounted for and either voted or rejected, the officers shall place the empty ballot envelopes, the return envelopes, and any rejected ballot envelopes, in one envelope provided for the purpose and seal and deliver it with the ballots cast at the election as provided in this title.

Code 1950, §§ 24-330, 24-338, 24-338.1, 24-339, 24-340, 24-341, 24-342, 24-345.8; 1952, c. 509; 1954, cc. 511, 523, 539; 1956, c. 525; 1962, c. 536; 1964, c. 557; 1970, c. 462, §§ 24.1-231, 24.1-234; 1972, c. 621; 1974, c. 428, § 24.1-233.1; 1978, c. 778; 1981, c. 425; 1988, cc. 624, 691; 1991, c. 3; 1993, c. 641; 2001, c. 799; 2002, cc. 785, 819; 2003, c. 1015; 2006, c. 283; 2013, c. 501; 2014, cc. 453, 574, 575; 2017, c. 276.