California Legal Codes and Statutes

Chapter 4 - Precinct Supplies and Ballots

California Elections Code — §§ 17300-17306

Sections (7)

§ 17300

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 100, Sec. 4. (AB 1591) Effective January 1, 2022.

(a)(1) The elections official shall preserve all rosters or combined rosters and voter lists as provided for in Section 14107, if applicable, until five years after the date of the election, after which they may be destroyed by that official.
(2)For purposes of this subdivision, if an electronic poll book is used, a copy of the electronic data file may be preserved in lieu of preserving a paper copy of the rosters or combined rosters and voter lists, if applicable.
(b)In lieu of preserving the original roster, the elections official may, by filming or other suitable method, record the original roster of voters and destroy the roster following the next subsequent general

election.

§ 17301

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 605, Sec. 6. (SB 1328) Effective September 25, 2024.

(a)The following provisions shall apply to those elections where candidates for one or more of the following offices are voted upon: President, Vice President, United States Senator, and United States Representative.
(b)The packages containing the following items shall be kept by the elections official, unopened and unaltered, for 22 months from the date of the election:
(1)Voted polling place ballots.
(2)Paper cast vote records, as defined by Sections 305.5 and 19271.
(3)Voted vote by mail voter ballots.
(4)Vote by mail voter identification envelopes.
(5)Voted provisional voter ballots.
(6)Voted conditional voter registration ballots.
(7)Provisional ballot voter identification envelopes, including conditional voter registration voter identification envelopes cast pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 2170.
(8)Spoiled ballots.
(9)Canceled ballots.
(10)Unused vote by mail ballots surrendered by the voter pursuant to Section 3015.
(c)If a contest is not commenced within the 22-month period, or if a criminal prosecution involving fraudulent use, marking or falsification of ballots, or forgery of vote by mail voters’ signatures is not commenced within the 22-month period, either of which may involve the vote of the precinct from which voted ballots were received, the elections official shall have the items identified in subdivision (b) destroyed or recycled. The packages shall otherwise remain unopened until the items

are destroyed or recycled.

§ 17302

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 605, Sec. 7. (SB 1328) Effective September 25, 2024.

(a)The following provisions shall apply to all state or local elections not provided for in subdivision (a) of Section 17301. An election is not deemed a state or local election if votes for candidates for federal office may be cast on the same ballot as votes for candidates for state or local office.
(b)The packages containing the following items shall be kept by the elections official, unopened and unaltered, for six months from the date of the election:
(1)Voted polling place ballots.
(2)Paper cast vote records, as defined by Sections 305.5 and 19271.
(3)Voted vote by mail voter ballots.
(4)Vote by mail voter identification envelopes.
(5)Voted provisional voter ballots.
(6)Voted conditional

voter registration ballots.

(7)Provisional ballot voter identification envelopes, including conditional voter registration voter identification envelopes cast pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 2170.
(8)Spoiled ballots.
(9)Canceled ballots.
(10)Unused vote by mail ballots surrendered by the voter pursuant to Section 3015.
(c)If a contest is not commenced within the six-month period, or if a criminal prosecution involving fraudulent use, marking or falsification of ballots, or forgery of vote by mail voters’ signatures is not commenced within the six-month period, either of which may involve the vote of the precinct from which voted ballots were received, the elections official shall have the items identified in subdivision (b) destroyed or recycled. The packages shall otherwise remain unopened until the items are

destroyed or recycled.

§ 17303

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 100, Sec. 5. (AB 1591) Effective January 1, 2022.

(a)The following provisions apply to those elections in which candidates for one or more of the following offices are voted upon: President, Vice President, United States Senator, and United States Representative.
(b)The elections official shall preserve the package or packages containing the following items for a period of 22 months:
(1)Two tally sheets.
(2)The challenge lists.
(3)The assisted voters’ list.
(c)All voters may inspect the contents of the package or packages at all times following

commencement of the official canvass of the votes.

(d)If a contest is not commenced within the 22-month period, or if a criminal prosecution involving fraudulent use, marking, or falsification of ballots, or forgery of vote by mail voters’ signatures is not commenced within the 22-month period, either of which may involve the vote of the precinct from which voted ballots were received, the elections official may have the packages destroyed or recycled.
§ 17304

Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 806, Sec. 81. (SB 286) Effective January 1, 2018.

(a)The following provisions apply to all state or local elections not provided for in subdivision (a) of Section 17303. An election is not deemed a state or local election if votes for candidates for federal office may be cast on the same ballot as votes for candidates for state or local office.
(b)The elections official shall preserve the package or packages containing the following items for a period of six months:
(1)Two tally sheets.
(2)The copy of the roster used as the voting record. If an electronic poll book is used,

a copy of the electronic data file may be preserved in lieu of creating a paper copy.

(3)The challenge lists.
(4)The assisted voters’ list.
(c)All voters may inspect the contents of the package or packages at all times following commencement of the official canvass of the votes, except that items that contain signatures of voters may not be copied or distributed.
(d)If a contest is not commenced within the six-month period, or if a criminal prosecution involving fraudulent use, marking or falsification of ballots, or forgery of vote by mail voters’ signatures is not commenced within the six-month period, either of which may involve the vote of the

precinct from which voted ballots were received, the elections official may have the packages destroyed or recycled.

§ 17305

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 605, Sec. 8. (SB 1328) Effective September 25, 2024.

(a)The following provisions apply to those elections where candidates for one or more of the following offices are voted upon: President, Vice President, United States Senator, and United States Representative.
(b)Upon the completion of the counting of the votes as provided in Article 4 (commencing with Section 15640) of Chapter 9 of Division 15, all items specified in subdivision (b) of Section 17301 shall be kept by the elections official for 22 months from the date of the election

or so long thereafter as any contest involving the vote at the election remains undetermined.

(c)Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the final disposition of all items specified in subdivision (b) of Section 17301 shall be determined by the elections official.
(d)Sealed ballot containers shall not be opened

unless the elections official determines it is necessary in a shredding or recycling process. This section shall not be construed to allow packages or containers to be opened except for purposes specified herein. The packages or containers shall otherwise remain unopened until the ballots and paper cast vote records are destroyed or recycled.

§ 17306

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 605, Sec. 9. (SB 1328) Effective September 25, 2024.

(a)The following provisions shall apply to all state or local elections not provided for in subdivision (a) of Section 17305. An election is not deemed a state or local election if votes for candidates for federal office may be cast on the same ballot as votes for candidates for state or local office.
(b)Upon the completion of the counting of the votes as provided in Article 4 (commencing with Section 15640) of Chapter 9 of Division 15, all items specified in subdivision (b) of Section 17302

shall be kept by the elections official for six months from the date of the election or so long thereafter as any contest involving the vote at the election remains undetermined.

(c)Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the final disposition of all items specified in subdivision (b) of Section 17302 shall be determined by the elections official.
(d)Sealed ballot containers shall not

be opened unless the elections official determines it is necessary in a shredding or recycling process. This section shall not be construed to allow packages or containers to be opened except for purposes specified herein. The packages or containers shall otherwise remain unopened until the ballots and paper cast vote records are destroyed or recycled.