§ La. R.S. 18:532(untitled)

Establishment of precincts
A. Subject to the provisions of R.S. 18:532.1, the governing authority of each parish shall establish
precincts, define the territorial limits for which each precinct is established, prescribe their boundaries, and
designate the precincts. The governing authority of each parish shall by ordinance adopt the establishment
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and boundaries of each precinct in accordance with the timetable as set forth in this Section and in
accordance with R.S. 18:532.1.
B.(1)(a) Each precinct shall be a contiguous, compact area having clearly defined and clearly
observable boundaries coinciding with visible features readily distinguishable on the ground and approved
extensions of such features, such as designated highways, roads, streets, rivers, or canals, and depicted on
United States Bureau of the Census base maps for the next federal decennial census, except where the
precinct boundary is coterminous with the boundary of a parish or an incorporated place when the boundaries
of a single precinct contain the entire geographic area of the incorporated place. Except as otherwise
provided in this Paragraph, on and after July 1, 1997, any precinct boundary which does not coincide with
a visible feature shall be changed by the parish governing authority to coincide with a visible feature in
accordance with R.S. 18:532.1.
(b) For the purposes of this Paragraph, the term "approved extension" shall mean an extension of
one visible feature to another visible feature which has been approved by the secretary of the Senate and the
clerk of the House of Representatives or their designees and which is or which will be a census tabulation
boundary.
(2) No precinct shall be wholly contained within the territorial boundaries of another precinct,
except that a precinct which contains the entire geographical area of an incorporated place and in which the
total number of registered voters at the last general election was less than three hundred may be so
contained.
(3) No precinct shall contain more than two thousand two hundred registered voters within its
geographic boundaries. Within thirty days after the completion of each canvass, the registrar of voters of
each parish shall notify the parish governing authority of every precinct in the parish which contains more
than two thousand two hundred registered voters within its geographic boundaries. Within sixty days of such
notification, the parish governing authority shall divide such precincts by a visible feature in accordance with
R.S. 18:532.1.
(4)(a) No precinct shall contain less than three hundred registered voters within its geographical
boundaries, except:
(i) When necessary to make it more convenient for voters in a geographically isolated and
unincorporated area to vote. A voter in a geographically isolated and unincorporated area shall mean a voter
whose residence is outside an incorporated place and who would have to travel by roadway more than ten
miles or cross a public ferry to a polling place to vote if the precinct were not established.
(ii) When the precinct contains the entire geographical area of an incorporated place.
(iii) When the precinct may not be merged with any adjacent precinct due to voting district
boundaries, provided that such a precinct has a consolidated polling place with an adjacent precinct and the
number of commissioners for the polling place has been reduced in accordance with R.S. 18:425.1 and
1286.1.
(b)(i) No precinct shall be established as authorized in this Paragraph unless it is in compliance with
the provisions of R.S. 18:532.1(C) and unless the parish governing authority has submitted documentation
to the Department of State that the precinct meets one of the criteria in this Paragraph and the parish
governing authority has received written approval for the establishment of the precinct from the secretary
of state. However, a precinct may contain less than three hundred registered voters if the parish governing
authority is responsible for all election expenses incurred in the precinct as provided in R.S. 18:1400.7.
(ii) In addition to the authority in Item (i) of this Subparagraph, the secretary of state may permit
the establishment of precincts with less than three hundred registered voters under extraordinary and
unforeseen circumstances.
(c) Within thirty days after the completion of each canvass, beginning with the 1996 canvass, the
registrar of voters of each parish shall notify the parish governing authority of every precinct in the parish
which contains fewer than three hundred registered voters within its geographic boundaries. Within sixty
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R.S. 18:532.1
days after such notification, the parish governing authority shall merge such precincts with other precincts,
unless the approval of the Department of State has been granted as provided in this Paragraph.
(5) The provisions of Paragraph (4) of this Subsection shall not be effective during the period of
time established by R.S. 18:532.1(D).
C. Each parish governing authority shall provide and maintain at all times geospacial shape files,
if available, and a suitable printed map showing the current geographical boundaries with designation of
precincts, and a correct, written legal description of the precinct geographical boundaries. Each parish
governing authority shall send a copy of each map, with description attached, to the registrar of voters and
the secretary of state. The map may be composed of one or more sheets but each sheet shall not exceed three
feet by four feet. The map shall include all existing roads, streets, railroad tracks, and drainage features but
shall not include underground utility lines, land use and zoning symbols or shadings, symbols for vegetation
cover, topographic contour lines, and similar items that obscure the basic street pattern and names. All
features, names, titles, and symbols on the map shall be clearly shown and legible. The map sheet of the
entire parish shall be on a scale of one inch equals one mile to one inch equals two miles. Map sheets of each
incorporated place within the parish shall be on a scale of one inch equals eight hundred feet to one inch
equals sixteen hundred feet. Each map sheet shall indicate the date of the base map or the date of last
revision. Wherever the boundaries of a precinct or incorporated place are coterminous, they shall be clearly
indicated as such.
D. The parish governing authority shall also furnish to the registrar of voters and secretary of state
geospacial shape files, if available, and a printed map clearly indicating the boundaries of each parish
governing authority district, school board district, special election district, representative district, and senate
district, and a correct, written legal description of the boundaries.
E.(1) In complying with the provisions of this Section for the establishment of precincts and the
prescription of their boundaries, each parish governing authority and registrar of voters shall coordinate with
the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House of Representatives, or their designees, pursuant to their
authority to submit a plan for census data for reapportionment under the provisions of Chapter 13 of this Title
and shall adopt or adjust precinct boundaries as may be necessary to comply with this Section.
(2) The proposed precinct boundaries submitted to the United States Bureau of the Census by a
parish through the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House of Representatives or their designees,
and approved by the Bureau of the Census as block boundaries for each federal decennial census, shall be
the precinct boundaries for the parish for reapportionment purposes following each federal decennial census.
F. Prior to the adoption of an ordinance to establish the boundaries of precincts pursuant to this
Section, the parish governing authority shall submit the proposed precincts and boundaries to the clerk of
court and registrar of voters to confirm the ability to conduct an election utilizing the proposed boundaries.