MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2020 Regular Session
To: Apportionment and Elections
By: Representatives Summers, Anthony
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE RETENTION AND DESTRUCTION OF PACKAGES OF PROTESTED, VOID AND WHOLLY BLANK BALLOTS, OPEN PACKAGES OF UNUSED BALLOTS, SEALED PACKAGES OF UNUSED BALLOTS, AND ALL ABSENTEE AND MILITARY BALLOTS AND BALLOT ENVELOPES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, for federal and presidential general, special or primary elections, packages of protested, void and wholly blank ballots, open packages of unused ballots, sealed packages of unused ballots, and all absentee and military ballots and ballot envelopes, if any, shall be preserved for twenty-two (22) months after the date of any such general, special or primary election. For all other statewide, county or municipal elections, sealed packages of unused ballots, packages of protested, void and wholly blank ballots, open packages of unused ballots and all absentee and military ballots and ballot envelopes shall be retained for four (4) months, and may then be destroyed, provided a certificate articulating the election district identifying data and numbers of such ballots is filed with the balance of ballots described in this section, for the balance of the two-year retention period.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.