Texas Election Code
§ 66.058 — PRESERVATION OF PRECINCT ELECTION RECORDS
EL § 66.058Title 6. CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS · Ch. 66. DISPOSITION OF RECORDS AND SUPPLIES AFTER ELECTION · Art. C. DISPOSITION OF RECORDS AND SUPPLIES
Statute text
View on source(a)Except as otherwise provided by this code, the precinct election records shall be preserved by the authority to whom they are distributed for at least 22 months after election day.
(b)For a period of at least 60 days after the date of the election, the voted ballots shall be preserved securely in a locked room in the locked ballot box in which they are delivered to the general custodian of election records. On the 61st day after election day, the general custodian of election records may:
(1)require a person who has possession of a key that operates the lock on a ballot box containing voted ballots to return the key to the custodian; and
(2)unlock the ballot box and transfer the voted ballots to another secure container for the remainder of the preservation period. (b-1) Except as permitted by this code, a ballot box or other secure container containing voted ballots may not be opened during the preservation period.
(c)If during the preservation period an authorized entry is made into a ballot box or other secure container containing voted ballots, when the purpose for the entry is fulfilled, the box or container shall be relocked or resecured, and the box and key or secure container returned to the custodian.
(d)A custodian of a ballot box or secure container containing voted ballots commits an offense if, during the preservation period prescribed by Subsection (a), the custodian:
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Legislative history
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 950 (H.B. 1580), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005. Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1197 (H.B. 1446), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007. Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1197 (H.B. 1446), Sec. 2, eff. June 15, 2007. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 682 (H.B. 2524), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1164 (H.B. 2817), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 5), Sec. 2, eff. December 1, 2017.