(a) The voting machines shall remain locked against voting for the time provided by law for the filing of contests and then shall have the seal broken only on the order of the municipal governing body and if, in the opinion of such body, the contest has developed or is likely to develop, and shall remain locked until such times as ordered by the court hearing the contest or until a final determination thereof; provided, that on the order of any court of competent jurisdiction or on the order of the municipal governing body, the seal may be broken for the purpose of proper investigation. When such investigation is completed, the machine shall again be sealed and across the envelope containing the keys shall be written the signature of the person or persons having broken same; provided further, that in the event another election is held during the time for which the machines are required by this subsection to be locked and the machines are needed at such election, the municipal governing body shall be authorized to break the seal and make a record of the numbers on all counters on each machine and to remove all of the election records from the machine.
(b) The municipal governing body shall securely seal all records taken from a machine in an envelope or package and on the outside thereof label the package in such manner as to indicate plainly the machine from which they were removed and the month, day, and the year, of the election of which they are records. Each member of the municipal governing body present when the machines were opened shall certify to the accuracy of the records of the numbers on the counters and shall sign the envelope or package across the seal. This certificate and all other records removed from the voting machines shall be delivered to the municipal clerk and preserved by him for the same length of time prescribed in subsection (b) of Section 11-46-46 for the retention of paper ballots and then destroyed in the same manner that paper ballots are destroyed.
Structure Code of Alabama
Title 11 - Counties and Municipal Corporations.
Title 2 - Provisions Applicable to Municipal Corporations Only.
Article 2 - Elections in Certain Cities or Towns Having Mayor-Council Form of Government.
Section 11-46-21 - Time of Elections; Notice; Assumption of Duties by Elected Officers.
Section 11-46-22 - Notice of Elections.
Section 11-46-24 - Designating and Equipping Voting Places; Election Officials; Canvass Returns.
Section 11-46-25 - Ballots; Statements of Candidacy; Withdrawal of Candidacy.
Section 11-46-26 - Proceedings Where Only One Candidate or Nominee for Office.
Section 11-46-27 - Appointment, Compensation, etc., of Election Officers.
Section 11-46-29 - Appointment of Election Officers Upon Failure of Others to Attend Polls.
Section 11-46-32 - Election Supplies.
Section 11-46-33 - Duties of Clerk as to Voting Machines.
Section 11-46-34 - Voting Booths.
Section 11-46-40 - Assistance of Disabled Electors Generally.
Section 11-46-43 - Right of Secret Ballot; Write-in Voting Prohibited.
Section 11-46-49 - Election Officers for Voting Machines; Duties.
Section 11-46-56 - Absentee Ballots - Eligibility.
Section 11-46-58 - Absentee Ballots - Marking, Posting, etc., of Lists of Applicants.
Section 11-46-59 - Offenses of Mayor and Other Executive Officers.
Section 11-46-60 - Offenses of Clerks.
Section 11-46-61 - Offenses of Election Officers Generally.
Section 11-46-62 - Offenses of Inspectors.
Section 11-46-63 - Failure of Returning Officer to Deliver Statement of Votes and Poll List.
Section 11-46-64 - Deception of Disabled Voters by Marker, Etc.
Section 11-46-65 - Drinking of Intoxicating Liquors by Watcher.
Section 11-46-67 - Offenses of Electors.
Section 11-46-68 - Miscellaneous Offenses.
Section 11-46-69 - Contest of Elections - Grounds; Commencement of Action.
Section 11-46-70 - Contest of Elections - Trial; Entry of Judgment.
Section 11-46-71 - Annulment of Elections.
Section 11-46-72 - Procedure Where Election Not Held on Day Appointed.
Section 11-46-73 - Provisions of Article as to Offenses Cumulative.
Section 11-46-74 - Use of Election Dates Established by Classification Act or Local Act.