§ La. R.S. 18:435(untitled)

Watchers; appointment and commission
A.(1)(a) Each candidate is entitled to have one watcher at every precinct on election day where the
office he seeks is voted on in a primary or general election. The candidate or his authorized representative
shall file one list of watchers on a form provided by the secretary of state or on a form which contains the
same information as required by the form provided by the secretary of state. When a candidate's list of
watchers is filed by the candidate's authorized representative, a letter of authorization from the candidate
shall accompany the list of watchers; however, the list of watchers shall be signed by the candidate.
(b) In the case of a presidential election, each slate of candidates for presidential elector is entitled
to have one watcher at every precinct. The state central committee of each recognized political party shall
be responsible for filing the list of watchers for its slate of candidates for presidential elector, and the list of
watchers shall be signed by the chairman of the state central committee. The list of watchers for a slate of
candidates for presidential elector who are not affiliated with a recognized political party shall be signed and
filed by any person so authorized by the presidential candidate supported by the slate of electors. A letter
of authorization from the presidential candidate, or from an authorized agent of his campaign, shall
accompany the list of watchers.
(2) In addition to the watchers provided for in Paragraph (1), each candidate may designate one
watcher as a "super watcher" who shall have the qualifications, powers, and duties of watchers provided for
by R.S. 18:427 and who shall be admitted as a watcher in every precinct in the designated parish where the
office the candidate seeks is on the ballot in the primary and general election. The selection of the super
watcher shall be made in the same manner as for watchers set forth in this Section.
(3) Any person who is supporting or opposing a proposition or question to be submitted to the voters
or supporting or opposing the recall of a public officer and who has filed a report required by R.S. 18:1486
for such election is entitled to have one watcher at every precinct where the issue he seeks to influence is
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voted on in an election. For the purposes of this Subsection, "person" means any individual, partnership,
association, labor union, political committee, corporation, or other legal entity, including its subsidiaries.
(4)(a) The parish executive committee of a recognized political party having at least twenty-five
percent of the registered voters in the state registered as being affiliated with the political party is entitled
to have political party super watchers in the parish if a candidate affiliated with the political party is on the
ballot. The designation of political party super watchers shall be made in accordance with this Section and
as provided in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph.
(b)(i) In a parish with fewer than fifty thousand registered voters, the parish executive committee
of the recognized political party may designate one political party super watcher and one alternate political
party super watcher.
(ii) In a parish with fifty thousand or more but fewer than one hundred thousand registered voters,
the parish executive committee of the recognized political party may designate two political party super
watchers and two alternate political party super watchers.
(iii) In a parish with one hundred thousand or more but fewer than one hundred fifty thousand
registered voters, the parish executive committee of the recognized political party may designate three
political party super watchers and three alternate political party super watchers.
(iv) In a parish with one hundred fifty thousand or more but fewer than two hundred thousand
registered voters, the parish executive committee of the recognized political party may designate four
political party super watchers and four alternate political party super watchers.
(v) In a parish with two hundred thousand or more registered voters, the parish executive committee
of the recognized political party may designate five political party super watchers and five alternate political
party super watchers.
(c) Each political party super watcher shall have the qualifications, powers, and duties of watchers
provided for by R.S. 18:427 and shall be admitted as a watcher in every precinct in the designated parish
where a candidate affiliated with his political party is on the ballot, except that not more than one political
party super watcher may serve at a single precinct at the same time. Both a political party super watcher and
an alternate political party super watcher may serve on election day, except that the political party super
watcher and alternate political party super watcher may not serve at the same time and no more political party
super watchers and alternate political party super watchers may serve at one time than the number of political
party super watchers allowed in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph.
(d) The chairman of the parish executive committee of the political party shall sign and be
responsible for filing the list of political party super watchers.
(e) The chairman of the state central committee of a recognized political party may designate super
watchers for the parish, in accordance with this Section, in any parish without a parish executive committee
of the recognized political party.
(5) The commissioners shall regulate the number of watchers inside the polling place as provided
in R.S. 18:427.
B.(1)(a) A list of watchers shall be filed with the clerk of court by hand delivery, facsimile, mail,
or commercial courier before 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before the party primary, primary, or
general election; however, if the tenth business day before the party primary, primary, or general election
falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the list shall be filed on the next day which is not a
Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday. For purposes of this Paragraph, "commercial courier" shall have
the same meaning as provided in R.S. 13:3204(D). If the office that the candidate seeks is voted on in more
than one parish, a list of watchers shall be filed with the clerk of court in each parish where the candidate
will have watchers.
(b) A list of watchers submitted by a candidate for the party primary or primary election may be used
for the second party primary, primary, or general election only if the candidate notifies the clerk of court in
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writing by 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before the general election that he wants to use the same list
of watchers.
(c) A list of political party super watchers submitted by a party for the party primary or primary
election may be used for the second party primary, primary, or general election only if the chairman of the
parish executive committee or the state central committee of the party notifies the clerk of court in writing
by 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before the general election that the chairman wants to use the same
list of political party super watchers.
(2) Except for a candidate, parish executive committee or state central committee of a recognized
political party filing a list of political party super watchers, or recognized political party filing for a slate of
candidates for presidential elector, any person filing a list of watchers shall attach a certified statement that
the report required by R.S. 18:1486 has been filed with the supervisory committee in compliance with the
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.
(3) A list of watchers shall contain only one watcher and one alternate watcher for each precinct
where the candidate or person submitting the list is entitled to have a watcher. The list shall be typed or
legibly written, and it shall contain the name and mailing address of each watcher and alternate watcher, and
a designation of the precinct where he is to serve.
C. The parish board of election supervisors shall promptly issue a commission to each watcher
named on a timely filed list of watchers. A person shall not be commissioned as a watcher if he has been
appointed as a commissioner-in-charge or selected as a commissioner in the same election. A person selected
as an alternate commissioner may be commissioned as a watcher. However, if the alternate commissioner
must replace an absent or unqualified commissioner, he shall not serve as a watcher in the same election and
his commission as a watcher shall be deemed void. Prior to the opening of the polls on election day, the
parish board of election supervisors shall deliver to each precinct a list of the watchers and alternate watchers
who are entitled to serve at the election. The list shall specify the precinct or precincts for which each
watcher is eligible to serve. A watcher must present his commission to the commissioner-in-charge of the
precinct for which he is eligible to serve prior to serving at the polling place.
D. A candidate, or person as defined in Subsection A of this Section, shall be entitled to have both
a watcher and an alternate watcher serve at the same precinct on election day. However, the watcher and
alternate watcher may not serve at the same time.