Section 52.02 - Before the Polls Open(1)Election Officers Report To Polling Place. All election officers must report to work at the polling place at a time to be determined by the city or town clerk, so as to be able to complete all preliminary work and to allow the polls to open on time. They must be sworn in before beginning to work. They shall open the polling place on time.(2)Replacement Of Election Officers. If an election officer assigned to a polling place fails to appear or leaves, the city or town clerk shall be notified. Replacements shall be sent, or the corresponding deputy election officer shall be designated as the replacement.(3)Arrange The Polling Place. The voting booths, ballot boxes and fiberboard boxes with ballots must be in full view at all times. A guard rail shall be established to prevent unauthorized people from interfering with or observing people who are voting.(4)Signs To Be Posted. The following items shall be posted in a conspicuous place inside the polls but outside the guard rail: (a) Three specimen ballots (for each party in primaries).(b) Three "Instructions to Voters" cards.(c) Three "Penalties Upon Voter" cards.(5)Ballots Correct. Election officers shall check the ballots against a specimen ballot to see that the correct ballots have been delivered to the polling place. If the ballots are incorrect, the warden shall call the city or town clerk.(6)Count And Record The Number Of Ballots. Election officers shall count all packages of paper ballots. They shall record the actual number of ballots received in the polling place.(7)Set Up Check-In And Check-Out Tables. An election officer shall lay out the voting list and ballots on the check-in table at the entrance. At the biennial state election, copies of the official information for voters pamphlet, at least one for every hundred registered voters in the precinct, shall be available to voters at the check-in area. An election officer shall set up the voting list on the check-out table near the ballot box.(8)Ballot Box. The ballot box shall be placed away from the door, inside the rail, next to the check-out table so it is available to the voters as they leave the polling place.(9)Ballot Clerks. The warden shall appoint two election officers of different political parties to be stationed at the entrance to the voting area. Two other election officers of different parties shall be stationed at the exit from the voting area.(10)Ballot Box Empty. The warden shall publicly open the ballot box and examine it. It shall be shown to be empty and the register set at zero to the satisfaction of all election officers and other persons present. The warden shall close and lock the ballot box.(11)Election Record. The clerk shall record in the election record: (a) the examination and condition of the ballot box,(b) the register number on the ballot box before any ballots are cast, and(c) the actual count of the ballots received.(12)Ballot Box Key. The warden shall lock the box and give the ballot box key to the police officer. The officer shall keep the key until the polls close.(13)Ballot Box Locked. The ballot box must remain locked or sealed throughout the day, unless the box becomes too full to operate.(14)Open on Time. The warden shall open the polls on time if necessary materials are available, even if some things usually done beforehand must be done after the polls open.