§1254. Slates of independent candidates; nominating petitions and qualifying by payment of qualifying fees

A. A slate of independent candidates for presidential elector may be nominated by nominating petition or may qualify by the payment of a qualifying fee of five hundred dollars. Such qualifying fee shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 18:464(A). The period for filing such qualifying fee shall begin on the third Tuesday in July and shall end at 4:30 p.m. on the first Friday following the third Tuesday in August of each year in which a presidential election is to be held. Each qualifying fee shall be accompanied by the notice of candidacy and notarized affidavit of each candidate for elector signifying his acceptance of the nomination. An independent candidate for presidential elector may be registered to vote with or without a declaration of party affiliation.

B. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Part, a nominating petition for a slate of candidates for the offices of presidential elector shall be signed, filed, and certified as provided in Chapter 5 of this Title for state candidates voted on throughout the State.

C. Nominating petitions for the office of presidential elector shall be in the form prescribed by R.S. 18:465(D), except that in lieu of including the recognized political party with which the candidates are affiliated, the petition shall contain, in not more than three words, the political principle which the candidates represent. Also, in lieu of the date of the primary election for which the candidates seek to qualify, the petition shall include the date of the general election. The petition also shall include the names of the candidate for president and the candidate for vice president whom the candidates for elector support; however, neither the candidate for president nor the candidate for vice president supported by the slate of candidates for electors shall be a candidate for that office supported by a recognized political party or by a slate of candidates for elector who have previously filed a nominating petition or qualified by the payment of a qualifying fee for that election. Each petition shall contain a full slate of candidates for elector, one from each congressional district and two from the state at large. In designating the office for which the candidate is nominated, the petition shall designate the particular office of presidential elector, that is, the district in which the candidate is a qualified elector if he is nominated for the office for that district, or the designation "At large" in the case of the two offices to be filled at large. Each nominating petition shall be accompanied by the notice of candidacy and notarized affidavit of each candidate for elector signifying that the certificate constitutes his acceptance of the nomination.

D. Any slate of candidates for presidential elector that qualifies by payment of a qualifying fee shall be a full slate of candidates for elector, one from each congressional district and two from the state at large, and shall submit with the qualifying fee the following information for each candidate:

(1) The candidate's name;

(2) The address of his domicile;

(3) The office sought;

(4) The names of the candidate for president and the candidate for vice president whom the candidates for elector support; however, neither the candidate for president nor the candidate for vice president supported by the slate of candidates for elector shall be a candidate for that office supported by a recognized political party or by a slate of candidates for elector who have previously filed a nominating petition or qualified by the payment of a qualifying fee for that election;

(5) The recognized political party, if any, with which each candidate for presidential elector is affiliated;

(6) In not more than three words, the political principle that he represents; and

(7) The date of the election for which he seeks to qualify.

E. If the notice of candidacy and notarized affidavit of each candidate for elector, together with the qualifying fee or a nominating petition, are not filed timely with the secretary of state, the secretary of state shall endorse the date and time of receipt upon all documents and shall return them forthwith, either personally or by registered or certified mail, to the candidate or the person who filed them.

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 588, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1977 No. 523, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1983, No. 519, §1, eff. July 8, 1983; Acts 1985, No. 754, §1; Acts 1988, No. 909, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1989, No. 179, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1993, No. 418, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Acts 2009, No. 369, §1; Acts 2013, No. 383, §1, eff. June 18, 2013.