50.12 Return and preservation of ballots.
Immediately after making the proclamation, and before separating, the board members of each precinct in which votes have been received by paper ballot shall enclose in an envelope or other container all ballots which have been counted by them, except those endorsed “Rejected as double”, “Defective”, or “Objected to”, and securely seal the envelope. The signatures of all board members of the precinct shall be placed across the seal or the opening of the container so that it cannot be opened without breaking the seal. The precinct election officials shall return all the ballots to the commissioner, who shall carefully preserve them for six months. Ballots from elections for federal offices shall be preserved for twenty-two months. The sealed packages containing voted ballots shall be opened only for an official recount authorized by section 50.48, 50.49, or 50.50, for an election contest held pursuant to chapters 57 through 62, to conduct an audit pursuant to section 50.51, or to destroy the ballots pursuant to section 50.19.
[C51, §269; R60, §504; C73, §630; C97, §1142; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §851; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §50.12]
87 Acts, ch 221, §21; 89 Acts, ch 136, §44; 2002 Acts, ch 1134, §46, 115; 2017 Acts, ch 110, §42
Referred to in §50.13, 50.17, 50.48, 53.30, 53.40, 53.41
Structure Iowa Code
Title II - ELECTIONS AND OFFICIAL DUTIES
Section 50.1A - Canvass by officials.
Section 50.2 - One tally list in certain machine precincts.
Section 50.3 - Double or defective ballots.
Section 50.4 - Ballots objected to.
Section 50.5 - Disputed ballots returned separately.
Section 50.6 - Votes in excess of voter declarations.
Section 50.7 - Error on county office — township office.
Section 50.8 - Error on state or district office — tie vote.
Section 50.9 - Return of ballots not voted.
Section 50.10 - Record of ballots returned.
Section 50.11 - Proclamation of result.
Section 50.12 - Return and preservation of ballots.
Section 50.13 - Destruction of ballots.
Section 50.14 - Return of results.
Section 50.15 - Destruction in abeyance pending contest.
Section 50.15A - Unofficial results of voting — general election only.
Section 50.16 - Tally list of board.
Section 50.17 - Return of election register.
Section 50.19 - Preservation and destruction of books.
Section 50.20 - Notice of number of provisional ballots.
Section 50.21 - Special precinct board reconvened.
Section 50.22 - Special precinct board to determine challenges and canvass absentee ballots.
Section 50.23 - Messengers for missing tally lists.
Section 50.24 - Canvass by board of supervisors.
Section 50.25 - Abstract of votes in the general election.
Section 50.26 - Duplicate abstracts.
Section 50.27 - Declaration of election.
Section 50.28 - Tally lists filed.
Section 50.29 - Certificate of election.
Section 50.30 - Abstracts forwarded to state commissioner.
Section 50.30A - Election canvass summary forwarded to state commissioner.
Section 50.31 - Abstracts for governor and lieutenant governor.
Section 50.32 - Endorsement on other envelope.
Section 50.33 - Forwarding of envelopes.
Section 50.34 - Missing abstracts.
Section 50.35 - Delivery of abstracts.
Section 50.36 - Envelopes containing other abstracts — canvass.
Section 50.37 - State canvassing board.
Section 50.38 - Time of state canvass.
Section 50.40 - Record of canvass.
Section 50.41 - Certificate of election.
Section 50.42 - Certificates mailed.
Section 50.43 - Senator or representative.
Section 50.45 - Canvass public — result determined.
Section 50.46 - Special elections — canvass and certificate.
Section 50.47 - Messengers for election tally lists.
Section 50.48 - General recount provisions.
Section 50.49 - Recounts for public measures.
Section 50.50 - Administrative recounts.