Retention

Definition

In elections for federal office, election ADMINISTRATORS must preserve for 22 months “all records and paper that came into [their] posse ssion relating to an application, registration, payment of poll tax, or other act requisite to vo ting.” 42 U. S. C. §1974. In most states, ballots must be retained for a specified period of time after an election so that irregularities can be investigated and recounts conducted. “The sheri ff shall keep the ballots six months, and then the packages shall be taken out of the box, without opening or unsealing the packages, and destroyed unless within six months the sheri ff having them in custody is notified that the election of some officer for which the election was held will be contested, in which case he must preserve the box containing the ballots cast for such contestant until such contest is finally determined or until such box is demande d by some legally constituted custodian during such contest.” Ala. Code §17-3-5.