After any municipal election has been conducted and the official ballots have been duly conducted and tabulated, the Berkeley County Voter Registration and Election Commission shall place the ballots into the envelopes which shall be sealed and the envelopes containing the ballots shall be placed into ballot boxes. The ballot boxes containing the ballots shall be locked and placed in the city safe or other equally secure place. The keys to the ballot boxes shall be placed in the custody of the Berkeley County Voter Registration and Election Commission. The ballots shall be left undisturbed in the city safe or other place unless the Berkeley County Voter Registration and Election Commission shall order the ballots released for the purpose of a contested election as provided by the laws of the state or for conducting a recount as provided by the laws of the state. After the proceedings of a contested election have been completed or adjourned for the day, the ballots shall be redeposited in the city safe or other equally secure place according to the procedure described above. If no appeals are made or no contests filed, the Berkeley County Voter Registration and Election Commission shall order, in writing, the ballots destroyed at the end of the third week following the date of the election; provided that no ballots shall be destroyed until all appeals have been decided.
(Ord. 09-006, passed 10-13-2009)