§423. Parish boards of election supervisors

A. Creation. There is created a board of election supervisors for each parish.

B. Powers and duties. The parish board of election supervisors shall supervise the preparation for and the conduct of all elections held in the parish. All papers filed with the parish board of election supervisors shall be filed with the president or the secretary of the board. The list of watchers shall be filed as provided in R.S. 18:435(B). The parish board of election supervisors shall maintain a permanent street address, which shall be filed with the secretary of state and the clerk of court.

C. Composition. (1) In each parish, the board of election supervisors shall be composed of the registrar of voters, the clerk of court, the chairman of the parish executive committee of each recognized political party or his designee who shall be a member of the parish executive committee of the same recognized political party, and one member appointed by the governor.

(2) In a parish where a parish executive committee of a recognized political party has not been formed or where there is a vacancy in the office of chairman, the chairman of the state central committee of that political party may appoint a voter who is registered in the parish as being affiliated with the political party to serve on the parish board of election supervisors.

D.(1) Officers. At least every four years, each parish board of election supervisors shall elect one of its members as president of the board and may elect a secretary and any other officers it deems necessary. The parish board of election supervisors shall file a list of its officers with the secretary of state whenever one or more of its officers change.

(2) Employees. In a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand or more, the parish board of election supervisors may employ an executive administrator who shall be the principal assistant to the parish board of election supervisors.

E. Compensation. Each member of the parish board of election supervisors shall receive fifty dollars for each day, not to exceed six days, actually spent in the performance of his duties in preparing for and supervising each election held in the parish, except that each member of the board may be compensated for not more than seven days for a presidential or regularly scheduled congressional general election. In addition, each member of the board who is not a public official shall receive fifty dollars for each day spent in court as a subpoenaed witness in litigation concerning the performance of his duties as a member of the parish board of election supervisors in connection with an election.

F. Materials and expenses. The secretary of state shall furnish each parish board of election supervisors with the numbered balls and other materials used to select commissioners-in-charge, commissioners and alternate commissioners.

G. Legal representation. The attorney general shall be the attorney and legal advisor to each parish board of election supervisors. The attorney general may designate the appropriate district attorney to represent a board or, with respect to a particular matter, he may authorize a board to employ special counsel. Any compensation for special counsel shall be fixed by the board, subject to approval by the attorney general, and shall be paid by the parish governing authority.

H. Designees. The clerk of court and the registrar of voters may each appoint a designee to serve in his place on the parish board of election supervisors when he is absent from any meetings of the board. Any designee of the registrar of voters shall be a sworn deputy registrar. For each day of such service the designee of the clerk of court or the registrar of voters shall be paid the same compensation as a member, and the designating member shall not be compensated for that day. Any compensation paid to the designee shall be counted against the designating member's compensation, which shall not exceed six days as provided in Subsection E of this Section.

I. Meetings. Each parish board of election supervisors shall conduct its business in the presence of a quorum.

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 534, §1; Acts 1981, No. 77, §1, eff. June 26, 1981; Acts 1983, No. 519, §1, eff. July 8, 1983; Acts 1983, No. 520, §1; Acts 1983, No. 681, §1, eff. July 21, 1983; Acts 1985, No. 224, §1; Acts 2001, No. 451, §6, eff. Jan. 12, 2004; Acts 2002, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 130, §1, eff. April 23, 2002; Acts 2003, No. 1220, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 745, §1; Acts 2005, No. 431, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2007, No. 240, §1; Acts 2009, No. 369, §1; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 32, §1; Acts 2018, No. 584, §1, eff. May 28, 2018.