The period for retention of certain election materials in state and local elections

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Currently, detachable recording units and compartments for use with electronic voting machines may be cleared or erased no earlier than 14 days after any primary and 21 days after any other election. Before clearing or erasing the units or compartments, a municipal clerk or board of election commissioners must transfer the data contained in the units or compartments to a disk or other recording medium which may be erased or destroyed no earlier than 22 months after the election to which the data relates.

This bill permits recording units and compartments for use with tabulating equipment for an electronic voting system at any election at which no federal office appears on the ballot to be cleared or erased no earlier than 14 days after the primary and 21 days after the election but not while a recount or appeal of a recount determination or decision is pending nor during the time period following a recount or appeal of a recount determination or decision when an appeal or petition for review may be filed except by order of a court in which an appeal is pending. The bill also applies the same limitation concerning pending recounts, appeals, and appeal periods to other materials relating to a specific election, subject to a minimum 22-month retention requirement for a federal election.

Who's behind it

4 lawmakers are its authors⁠. 4 have no party on record.

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

• Amendment SSA1-SB435
• LC Amendment Memo