§444. Parish executive committees

A. Qualifications of members. A member of a parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall meet the qualifications established by the rules and regulations of the state central committee of that recognized political party. The qualifications for membership on parish executive committees of a recognized political party shall be uniform throughout the state.

B. Election and term. (1) Members of a parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall be elected every four years at the same time as the presidential preference primary election. The term of office shall not extend beyond the time for which the member was elected. Notwithstanding this provision, members elected in 1991 shall serve until their successors are chosen.

(2) Repealed by Acts 1995, No. 300, §1, eff. June 15, 1995.

(3) Candidates for membership on a parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall qualify for office pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 5 of this Title.

(4)(a) If the number of candidates who qualified for office exceeds the number of candidates to be elected for that office, the candidate who receives the greater number of votes cast shall be elected. If two or more offices of the same character are to be filled, each candidate who received the greater number of votes cast, as compared with the number of votes cast for each other candidate, is elected until all offices are filled. If two or more candidates receive the same number of votes, and as a result thereof, the number of candidates who would otherwise be elected exceed the number of remaining offices, the offices shall be filled by a public drawing of lots among such candidates conducted by a parish executive committee at its organizational meeting held pursuant to Subsection C hereof.

(b) If, after the close of the qualifying period, the number of candidates for membership on a political party committee does not exceed the number of members to be elected to the committee, the candidates for membership on that political party committee, or those remaining after the death or withdrawal of one or more candidates, are declared elected by the people, and their names shall not appear on the ballot.

C. Meetings. (1) The newly-elected members of the parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall meet at the parish courthouse, shall take office, and organize the committee within forty days after their election. A majority of the newly-elected members of the parish executive committee shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of organizing and filling any vacancies which may exist due to death, ineligibility, or failure to fill a vacancy by election.

(2) Proxy voting. A member of a parish executive committee may vote by written proxy subject to the following conditions:

(a) A member shall not vote by proxy at more than two consecutive meetings.

(b) A member shall exercise the proxy votes of no more than two other members at any time.

D. Officers. At the first meeting of the parish executive committee of a recognized political party, the newly-elected members of the committee shall elect the officers provided for by the rules and regulations of the state central committee of that political party, which shall be uniform for all parish executive committees. The chairman of each parish executive committee shall submit the name of each officer to the secretary of state within five business days of the election of the officers and shall submit any change in the officers to the secretary of state within five business days of the change.

E. Powers of the committee. The parish executive committee of a recognized political party may adopt rules and regulations for its government that are not inconsistent with the laws of this state or the rules and regulations of the state central committee, and it may create any committee it deems necessary. The rules and regulations of the parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall be filed with the clerk of court within ten days after their adoption. In parishes which have a civil and a criminal district court, the rules and regulations of a parish executive committee shall be filed with the clerk of the criminal district court.

F. Vacancies. (1) A vacancy occurs in the membership of a parish executive committee of a recognized political party when a member dies or no longer meets the qualifications for membership on the committee, or no person qualifies and is elected to succeed a member whose four-year term has expired.

(2)(a) A vacancy in the membership of a parish executive committee shall be filled by any qualified resident of the parish appointed by the parish executive committee for a vacancy in an at-large position.

(b) A vacancy in the membership left by a representative of a district shall be filled by any qualified resident of the district appointed by the parish executive committee. If no qualified resident of the district will accept the membership, the committee may appoint any qualified resident of the parish to fill the vacancy.

G. Composition. In each parish, except Orleans and Jefferson parishes, the parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall be composed of five members-at-large and as many members as there are members of the parish governing authority. The members-at-large shall be elected from the entire parish, while the additional members shall be elected, one each, from the districts or wards from which the members of the parish governing authority are elected. In Orleans Parish, the parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall be composed of fourteen members elected from each councilmanic district. In Jefferson Parish, the parish executive committee of a recognized political party shall be composed of five members elected from each councilmanic district and ten members elected at large from the entire parish.

H. Removal. (1) An elected member of the parish executive committee is subject to removal from office when one of the following occurs:

(a) A member establishes residence outside of the parish.

(b) A member is convicted of a felony.

(c) A member changes his official party registration.

(2) When a member of a parish executive committee commits any of the grounds for removal set forth in this Subsection, the parish executive committee shall schedule a hearing to review all available information on the incident. The parish executive committee shall provide a ten-day written notice to the member prior to conducting said hearing. Removal of the member, after completion of the hearing by the committee, shall be by a two-thirds vote of a majority of the members of the parish executive committee at a regularly scheduled meeting. A vacancy in the membership of the parish executive committee created by the removal shall be filled by appointment by the parish executive committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

I. Party with thirty percent or fewer of registered voters.

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, beginning in 1988, members of a parish executive committee of a recognized political party with which thirty percent or less of the registered voters of the state are affiliated, except those for Orleans Parish, shall be elected every four years at the same time as the presidential preference primary election. The term of office shall not extend beyond the time for which the member was elected.

(2) Beginning in 1992, members of a parish executive committee of a recognized political party with which thirty percent or less of the registered voters are affiliated in Orleans Parish shall be elected every four years at the same time as the presidential preference primary election. The terms for which members of such parish executive committee were elected in 1986 are extended until the members are elected at the 1992 presidential preference primary election and take office.

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 477, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1978, No. 292, §1, eff. July 6, 1978; Acts 1982, No. 672, §1, eff. July 22, 1982; Acts 1983, No. 519, §1, eff. July 8, 1983; Acts 1984, No. 672, §1; Acts 1986, No. 391, §1; Acts 1986, No. 1019, §1; Acts 1986, No. 1030, §1; Acts 1987, No. 119, §1, eff. June 18, 1987; Acts 1987, No. 831, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1992, No. 800, §1; Acts 1992, No. 949, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1993; Acts 1993, No. 968, §1; Acts 1995, No. 300, §1, eff. June 15, 1995; Acts 2001, No. 171, §1; Acts 2003, No. 910, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2008, No. 287, §1; Acts 2012, No. 758, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2013; Acts 2016, No. 281, §1, eff. May 31, 2016.