2009 Iowa Code
Title 2 - Elections and Official Duties
Subtitle 1 - Elections
CHAPTER 50 - CANVASS OF VOTES
50.12 - RETURN AND PRESERVATION OF BALLOTS.

        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, or to destroy the ballots pursuant to section
      50.19.  

         Section History: Early Form

         [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] 

         Section History: Recent Form

         87 Acts, ch 221, § 21; 89 Acts, ch 136, §44; 2002 Acts, ch 1134,
      §46, 115
         Referred to in § 50.13, 50.17, 50.48, 53.30, 53.40, 53.41