§ La. R.S. 18:1312(untitled)

Retention of ballots at registrar's office
A. All absentee by mail ballots, early voting machine results reports, early voting verification forms,
early voting machine public counter logs, and early voting confirmation sheets, shall be retained in the office
of the registrar of voters except as otherwise provided in this Chapter.
B. All absentee by mail ballots which are received timely shall be removed from the mail return
envelope, if applicable; shall be arranged by ward and precinct and placed and retained in a special, secure
absentee by mail and early voting ballot container designated and used only for that purpose; and shall be
delivered to the parish board of election supervisors to be counted and tabulated as provided in R.S. 18:1313.
C. After the tabulation of the absentee by mail and early voting ballots on election night, the board
shall replace the absentee by mail ballots, early voting machine results reports, early voting verification
forms, early voting machine public counter logs, absentee by mail and early voter reports, and early voting
confirmation sheets in the special, secure absentee by mail and early voting ballot container and return the
container to the registrar of voters. The registrar shall retain the special, secure absentee by mail and early
voting ballot container inviolate until the delay for filing an election contest has lapsed, or, if an action
contesting the election has been filed, until the judgment in the action becomes definitive.
D. Except as otherwise provided in R.S. 18:1308.1(C) and 1311(D)(1) and (5), all mail ballots
received on or after election day shall not be counted, but shall be endorsed with the day and hour of receipt,
238 – House of Representatives Database
R.S. 18:1313
shall be kept unopened for six months, and then shall be destroyed. Any absentee ballot received by mail
or facsimile not the first received from the voter shall be treated as provided in this Subsection.
E. Absentee by mail ballots, early voting machine results reports, early voting verification forms,
early voting machine public counter logs, early voting confirmation sheets, absentee by mail and early voter
reports, applications for absentee by mail ballots, certificates, and other absentee by mail and early voting
ballot paraphernalia associated with an election shall be retained as provided in R.S. 18:403, unless litigation
is pending relative to such election. If litigation is pending relative to such election, such paraphernalia shall
be retained in accordance with any applicable court order and until the litigation is concluded.