The proper officer of the Authority shall retain for six months all ballot papers, statements of rejected ballot papers, marked registers and marked absent voters lists relating to an election forwarded to him or her in pursuance of this Order by a returning officer, and then, unless otherwise directed by an order of a sheriff principal, shall cause them to be destroyed.

Those documents, except ballot papers, shall be open to public inspection at such time and in such manner as the proper officer of the Authority may determine.

The proper officer of the Authority shall, on request, supply copies of or extracts from the documents open to public inspection on payment of such fees and subject to such conditions as he or she may determine.