§ La. R.S. 18:1376(untitled)

Release of voting machines; return to warehouse; retention of totals; clearing machines and
election result cartridges
A. Immediately upon completion of the tabulation of the returns and the securing and, if applicable,
sealing of the machines at the polling place, the machines shall be released to the parish custodian or his
deputy. The parish custodian shall ensure that all voting machines used at the polls within the parish are
returned to the appropriate warehouse no later than forty-eight hours after the polls close on election day.
Proper provisions shall be made for safeguarding machines after the polls close.
B.(1) For all elections subject to the provisions of this Title, the parish custodian shall ensure that
the vote totals on any election result cartridges and the voting machines are retained and that the voting
machines are secured and, if applicable, sealed until the secretary of state directs that the voting machines
and any election result cartridges be cleared in accordance with Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.
(2) If an action contesting an election is not instituted within the period of time prescribed in R.S.
18:1405(B), then on the day after the lapse of the time for filing such an action the secretary of state shall
direct that the voting machines and any election result cartridges be cleared. If an action contesting such an
election is timely filed, the secretary of state shall direct that the voting machines and any election result
cartridges be cleared after all data from each voting machine and election result cartridge used in the
contested election is copied to removable memory devices.