25-2708. Preservation of ballots and election records; distribution of abstracts of voting.
25-2708
25-2708. Preservation of ballots and election records; distribution ofabstracts of voting.(a) The county election officer shall preserve all ballots, books andrecords delivered to such officer by election boards and makethe same available toany canvassing board or election court who it is provided by law shall haveaccess to the same.
(b) The county election officer shall preserve all county, city,school district and townshipballots for six months and all state and national ballotsfor 22 months. At the expiration of such time, the countyelection officer shalldestroy them without previously opening any of the envelopes, in thepresence of two electors of approved integrity and good repute, membersof the two leading political parties. Suchelectors shall be designated bythe board of county commissioners. If the election of any officer or anyquestion submitted at such time is being contested, the ballots shall notbe destroyed until such contest is finally decided. In all cases ofcontested elections, either of the parties contesting shall have the rightto have such ballots opened and to have all errors of the judges incounting the ballots corrected by the court or body trying such contest.Such ballots shall be opened in open court or in an open sessionof such body and the presence of the officer having the custody thereof.
(c) The three copies of the certified abstract of each voting placeand the three copies of all certified abstracts of the county board ofcanvassers shall be distributed as follows:
(1) One copy shall be retained as a permanent record in the office ofthe county election officer.
(2) One copy shall be delivered to the chairperson ofthe county committeeof the political party of the candidate for governor who received thegreatest number of votes in the last state general election.
(3) One copy shall be delivered to the chairperson ofthe county committeeof the political party of the candidate for governor who received thesecond greatest number of votes in the last state general election.
(d) Other election supplies, books, records, lists and papers shall bedestroyed as provided by law.
History: L. 1968, ch. 406, § 40; L. 1974, ch. 106,§ 5;L. 1988, ch. 122, § 1;L. 1989, ch. 108, § 4; July 1.