19:18-1 Election records placed in ballot box.

19:18-1. As soon as the election shall be finished and the votes canvassed and the statements made and certified by the district board as herein required, all ballots which have been cast, whether the same have been canvassed and counted or rejected for any cause, and one tally sheet, spoiled and unused ballots, shall be carefully collected and deposited in the ballot box.

In all municipalities the signature copy registers shall not be placed in the ballot box but shall be delivered immediately by the district board to the commissioner of registration.

In order to carry out his duties, any superintendent of elections in counties having a superintendent of elections shall have access and be permitted to inspect and examine any and all signature copy registers for said county for any election which may have been or shall be held in said county and any official or person having possession or custody of same who shall refuse to deliver said signature copy registers to the office of said superintendent of elections forthwith upon demand having been made upon him by said superintendent of elections as aforesaid shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree. Unless the said official having custody or possession of said signature copy registers shall forthwith produce the same at the office of the superintendent of elections when demanded by him so to do, the said superintendent of elections may apply to a judge of the Superior Court assigned to the county and such judge shall forthwith make an order directing the official having possession or custody of the said signature copy registers to produce them at once in the court in which said judge may be sitting, and upon their being produced said judge shall deliver the same to the superintendent of elections.

Amended 1940, c.196; 1947, c.168, s.7; 1953, c.19, s.22; 1991, c.91, s.244; 2005, c.154, s.5.