At each primary, general, and special statewide or legislative district election, and at county elections, each polling place must have an election board in attendance. The election board must consist of an election inspector and at least two election judges. Counties utilizing polling places containing more than one precinct may choose to use one election board to supervise all precincts even if the precincts are within different legislative districts so long as each district chairman of each qualified political party is given the opportunity to have representation on the election board if desired. Appointing part -time election inspectors, judges, and poll clerks is permitted if there is sufficient coverage at each polling place to satisfy the requirements of subsection 4 of section 16.1-05-04. 1. The election inspector must be selected in the following manner: a. Except as provided in subdivision b, in all precincts established by the governing body of an incorporated city pursuant to chapter 16.1 -04, the governing body shall appoint the election inspectors for those precincts and fill all vacancies occurring in those offices. b. In all multiprecinct polling places containing both rural and city precincts, the county auditor, with the approval of the majority of the board of county commissioners, shall appoint the election inspectors and fill all vacancies occurring in those offices. The selection must be made on the basis of the inspector's knowledge of the election procedure. c. The election inspector shall serve until a successor is named. If an inspector fails to appear for any training session without excuse, the office is deemed vacant and the auditor shall appoint an individual to fill the vacancy. d. All appointments required to be made under this section must be made at least forty days preceding an election. 2. The election judges must be appointed in the following manner: a. Except as provided in subdivision b: (1) The election judges for each polling place must be appointed in writing by the district chairs representing the two parties that cast the largest number of votes in the state at the last general election. In polling places in which over one thousand votes are cast in any election, the county auditor may request each district party chair to appoint an additional election judge. (2) The district party chair shall notify the county auditor of the counties in which the precincts are located of the appointment of the election judges at least forty days before the primary, general, or special election. If this notice is not received within the time specified in this section, the county auditor shall appoint the judges and provide notice of the appointment to the district party chair. If the county auditor has exhausted all practicable means to select judges from within the boundaries of the precincts within the polling place and vacancies still remain, the county auditor may select election judges who reside outside of the voting precinct but who reside within the polling place's legislative districts. If vacancies still remain, the county auditor may select election judges who reside outside of the legislative districts but who reside within the county. b. For special elections involving only no -party offices, the election official responsible for the administration of the election, with the approval of the majority of the members of the applicable governing body, shall appoint the election judges for each polling place. 3. If at any time before or during an election, it appears to a county auditor that any election judge is disqualified under this chapter, the auditor shall order the election inspector to remove that judge at once and fill the vacancy by appointing a qualified individual of the same political party as that of the judge removed. If the disqualified judge had taken the oath of office as prescribed in this chapter, the inspector shall place the oath or affidavit before the state's attorney of the county. 4. The election official responsible for the administration of the election, with the approval of the majority of the members of the applicable governing body, shall appoint the poll clerks for each polling place. At least two poll clerks must be appointed for each polling place. Poll clerks must be appointed based on their knowledge of election matters, attention to detail, and any necessary technical knowledge.
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