§586. Verification of petition by registrar; filing with governing authority

A. The registrar of voters shall check the petition and attach thereto his sworn verification showing:

(1) The date the petition was filed.

(2) Copy of official journal showing publication of the information required in R.S. 26:585(B).

(3) The date of the first signature of the petition.

(4) The number of qualified electors of the ward, election district, or of the municipality, as the case may be, on the registration rolls as of the date of the first signature on the petition, which date shall be used by him in ascertaining if the petition contains the required number of signatures.

(5) That he has checked each signature for its genuineness by comparing the signature on the petition with the signature of the same person on the registration rolls.

(6) The total number of genuine signatures of qualified electors on the petition.

(7) The number of signatures not genuine, or not signed and written in the manner required in R.S. 26:584.

B. Within thirty days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, from the date the petition was filed with the registrar of voters, the registrar shall file a true copy of the sworn verification required in Subsection A with the governing authority charged with the duty of calling the election.

C. Any person whose signature appears on a local option petition and who alleges that such signature is not genuine is hereby authorized to execute and file with the registrar of voters, a sworn affidavit, attesting that the affiant did not sign the petition. The registrar of voters, when checking the signatures for genuineness, shall take the affidavit into consideration, but in no instance shall he certify the signature not to be genuine, unless the comparison of the signatures indicates that the signature is indeed not genuine. Affidavits executed pursuant to this Subsection shall be subject to the perjury provisions of Title 14 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

Amended by Acts 1974, No. 41, §1; Acts 1987, No. 696, §1; Acts 1990, No. 10, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 1997, No. 330, §1; Acts 1997, No. 765, §1.