If a contest is pending, the ballots shall be kept until the contest is finally determined, and then so destroyed. [C97, §1143; S13, §1143; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 854; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §50.15 ] Referred to in §53.40 , 53.41