§1461.8. Election offense; candidate; forfeiture of office

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and in addition to the penalties provided in R.S. 18:1461 through 1461.7, any candidate who is elected to public office and is convicted of an election offense as provided in R. S. 18:1461, 1461.2(A)(2) or (4), 1461.3(A)(3), 1461.4(A)(1) and 1461.5(A)(2) that is related to his campaign for such public office shall forfeit such public office. If such conviction becomes final prior to the candidate taking the oath of office for such public office, the candidate shall forfeit the public office and shall not be allowed to hold such public office and such public office shall be declared vacant at the time such conviction becomes final. If the conviction for such election offense does not become final until after such candidate has taken the oath of office for such public office, then, at the time such conviction becomes final, he shall forfeit such public office and shall be, ipso facto, removed from such public office and such public office shall be declared vacant.

B. However, if such candidate held such public office at the time of the commission of the election offense, he shall be allowed to serve the remainder of the term he was then serving, but, at the time his conviction for the election offense becomes final, he shall forfeit the public office for the subsequent term. If he has taken the oath of office for the subsequent term, he shall, at the time the conviction for the election offense becomes final, forfeit such public office and shall be, ipso facto, removed from such public office and such public office shall be declared vacant.

C. Any vacancy in a public office occurring as a result of the provisions of this Section shall be filled as in the case of ordinary vacancies and according to the constitution and laws of the state.

Acts 2010, No. 797, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011.