The person in charge of the election may not establish or place, or allow any individual to establish or place, an absentee ballot drop box within the official's jurisdiction. A completed absentee ballot may only be returned to an office of the individual in charge of the election pursuant to § 12-19-7.
For the purposes of this section, the term, absentee ballot drop box, means a receptacle or container into which an individual may deposit a completed absentee ballot. This term excludes a county auditor's means for physically securing a completed absentee ballot as required by § 12-19-10 or 12-19-42, including a secured and monitored receptacle or container at the office of the individual in charge of the election. The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules, pursuant to chapter 1-26, prescribing the requirements to ensure the security of the receptacle or container located at the office of the individual in charge of the election.
A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.