Section 741 - Counting of Australian ballots(a) Process. (1) At least two members of the board of civil authority of each town within a unified union school district, or two election officials appointed by the board of civil authority of that town, shall transport ballots cast in the town in a sealed container to a central location designated by the district clerk. The district clerk shall place the ballots from all locations into a single container.(2) The boards of civil authority shall not count the ballots for purposes of determining the outcome of the votes cast in that town prior to transporting them but may open the containers and count the total number of ballots cast at that polling location.(3) The district clerk or designee shall supervise representatives of the boards of civil authority, identified in subdivision (1) of this subsection, to count ballots at the central location pursuant to section 742 (commingling and reporting of votes cast by Australian ballot and from the floor) of this title. The district clerk shall also have the authority to appoint current unified union school district board members who are not on the ballot to aid in the counting of ballots.(4) The ballots shall be counted as soon as possible, but not later than 24 hours after the time at which the polls closed.(5) If ballots are to be counted on the day following the election, then the clerk of each town within the unified union school district shall store the ballots in a secure location in the town until they are transported on the following day to the central location designated by the district clerk for counting.(6) After the ballots have been counted, the district clerk shall seal them in a secure container and store them for at least 90 days in a secure location.(b) Applicability. The counting of Australian ballots cast by voters in a unified union school district for the election of members of the district board, for the election of district officers, for proposed budgets, and for any other public questions shall proceed pursuant to the provisions of this section, except when: (1) Vermont statute explicitly permits or requires a different method for a specific type of question presented to the voters;(2) the ballots have been cast to elect a unified union school district board member where membership on the board is apportioned based on town population pursuant to subdivision 730(a)(1) (unified union school district; Australian ballot; proportional to town population) of this title; or(3) the articles of agreement as initially approved by the voters on or before July 1, 2019 explicitly provide that the board of civil authority of each town within the unified union school district shall count Australian ballots cast in that town and report that town's results to the district clerk, who shall calculate total votes cast within the unified union school district and report the result of the vote to the public.Added by 2022 , No. 176, § 3, eff. 6/7/2022.