(a) In primaries and elections in which vote recorders have been used, the ballot cards shall be counted at one or more tabulating machine centers under the direction of the superintendent. All persons who perform any duties at a tabulating machine center shall be deputized by the superintendent, and only persons so deputized shall touch any ballot card, container, paper, or machine utilized in the conduct of the count or be permitted to be inside the area designated for officers deputized to conduct the count.

(b) All proceedings at a tabulating machine center or other locations designated by the superintendent as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section shall be open to the view of the public, but no person except one employed and designated for the purpose by the superintendent or his or her authorized deputy shall touch any ballot cards or ballot card container.

(c) At a tabulating machine center or such other location or locations designated by the superintendent for this purpose, the seal on each container of ballot cards shall be inspected, and it shall be certified that the seal has not been broken before the container is opened. In no event shall a ballot container be opened at such other location or locations. The ballot container shall only be opened and the ballots counted at a tabulating machine center. The ballot cards and other contents of the container shall then be removed, and the ballot cards shall be prepared for processing by the tabulating machine. The ballot cards of each polling place shall be plainly identified and not commingled with the ballot cards of other polling places.

(d) Each write-in vote shall be examined to ascertain whether it is valid by checking with the vote cast on the ballot card by the same elector. If any vote cast on the write-in ballot in combination with the vote cast for the same office on the ballot card exceeds the allowed number for the office, the entire vote cast for that office shall be marked void and shall not be counted. In the discretion of the superintendent, either a duplicate ballot card shall be made on which any invalid vote shall be omitted or the write-in ballot and the ballot card shall be counted in such manner as may be prescribed by State Election Board rules, omitting the invalid vote.

(e) If it appears that a ballot card is so torn, bent, or otherwise defective that it cannot be processed by the tabulating machine, the superintendent, in his or her discretion, may either order that the ballot card be counted in the same manner as paper ballots are counted or order the proper election official at the tabulating center to prepare a true duplicate copy for processing with the ballot cards of the same polling place, which shall be verified in the presence of a witness. All duplicate cards shall be red in color, shall be clearly labeled by the word "duplicate," shall bear the designation of the polling place, and shall be given the same serial number as the defective card. The defective ballot card shall be attached to the duplicate and shall remain therewith at all times except for that period of time during which it is being processed by the tabulating machine.

(f) The official returns of the votes cast on ballot cards at each polling place shall be printed by the tabulating machine, to which shall be added the votes of absentee electors and write-in votes. The returns thus prepared shall be certified and promptly posted as provided by this chapter for paper ballots. The official returns for the primary or election may be printed by the tabulating machine, to which are added the tally of write-in and absentee votes, and shall be canvassed and certified as provided by this chapter. The ballot cards, write-in ballots, spoiled, defective, and invalid ballot cards, and returns shall be filed and retained in the same manner as provided by this chapter for paper ballots.

(g) The final canvass of the votes cast on vote recorders and counted by tabulating machines in a primary or election may be made by adding the results as determined by the superintendent to the results of the canvass of votes cast by absentee electors and write-in votes and making the statement of the vote in the manner provided for the particular primary or election. If paper ballots or voting machines are used in part of the county for all or a part of the primary or election, such votes shall be canvassed in the manner provided by this chapter and shall be added to the votes cast on ballot cards as provided by this chapter.