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Title 52, Voting and ElectionsRelease 119-102

§20701 Retention and Preservation of Records and Papers by Officers of Elections; Deposit with Custodian; Penalty for Violation

Title 52 › Subtitle II — Voting Assistance and Election Administration › CHAPTER 207 — FEDERAL ELECTION RECORDS › § 20701

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Election officials must keep and protect for 22 months after any general, special, or primary election where people vote for President, Vice President, presidential electors, U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, or Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner all records about voter applications, registrations, poll tax payments, and other steps needed to vote. If the law requires, an official may give the records to another election official. If a State or Puerto Rico names a custodian and place to store the records, the records can be deposited there and the custodian then must keep them. Any election official or custodian who willfully fails to follow these rules can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to one year, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 52, §20701

Voting and Elections, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Every officer of election shall retain and preserve, for a period of twenty-two months from the date of any general, special, or primary election of which candidates for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, or Resident Commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are voted for, all records and papers which come into his possession relating to any application, registration, payment of poll tax, or other act requisite to voting in such election, except that, when required by law, such records and papers may be delivered to another officer of election and except that, if a State or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico designates a custodian to retain and preserve these records and papers at a specified place, then such records and papers may be deposited with such custodian, and the duty to retain and preserve any record or paper so deposited shall devolve upon such custodian. Any officer of election or custodian who willfully fails to comply with this section shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1974 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

52 U.S.C. § 20701

Title 52, Voting and Elections

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102