§ La. R.S. 18:573(untitled)

Evidence of election results
A. Opening the voting machines. (1) The voting machines used in a primary or general election
shall remain locked or otherwise secured and, if applicable, sealed until the third day after the election unless
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Louisiana Election Code – 163
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the election is in judicial controversy and a court of competent jurisdiction has ordered the machines opened
at an earlier time. However, if the third day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the machines
shall be opened and, if applicable, the seals broken on the second day following the election.
(2) On the day immediately preceding the election, the clerk of court shall prominently post in his
office a notice of the time and place where the election day voting machines will be opened after the election.
If no order requiring an earlier opening has been issued, then at the time and place designated in the notice,
the clerk of court, assisted by at least one member of the parish board of election supervisors, in the presence
of the candidates or their representatives who desire to be present, shall open the voting machines and, if
applicable, break the seals. Public and protective counter numbers shall be recorded. Verification of the
election results on each machine, as provided for in Subsection B and subject to Subsection C of this Section,
shall be completed before another machine is opened.
(3) Each election day voting machine shall be relocked or otherwise secured and, if applicable,
resealed after the candidates or their representatives have had a reasonable opportunity to inspect the
machine, which shall not be less than thirty minutes after the time designated for opening the machines by
the clerk of court in the notice posted in his office. The clerk of court, in the presence of a majority of the
parish board of election supervisors, shall reopen any voting machine for reinspection by a candidate or his
representative after receipt of a written request for reinspection by the candidate. All reinspections shall be
held at a time set by the secretary of state, in conjunction with the registrar of voters and the clerk of court,
on the fifth day after the election and at any time ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction. If the fifth
day after the election falls on a holiday or weekend, such reinspection shall be held at a time set by the
secretary of state, in conjunction with the registrar of voters and the clerk of court, on the next working day.
Any written request for reinspection of voting machines shall be filed with the clerk of court. The deadline
for filing a request for reinspection shall be 4:30 p.m. on the third calendar day after the election.
Immediately upon receiving any request, the clerk of court shall prominently post in his office a notice of
the time and place where the voting machines will be reopened and the name of the candidate requesting that
the machines be reopened. The candidate requesting the reinspection shall be responsible for all reasonable
costs associated with such reinspection, including technical support by the secretary of state's technicians,
which shall be payable to the clerk of court. The costs shall be estimated and paid at the time the written
request for reinspection of voting machines is filed with the clerk of court and shall be paid in cash or by
certified or cashier's check on a state or national bank or credit union, United States postal money order, or
money order issued by a state or national bank or credit union. The parish board of election supervisors shall
be entitled to reimbursement for attending the reinspection at the rate established in R.S. 18:423(E); however,
such reimbursement shall not be counted toward the six-day limitation provided in R.S. 18:423(E). If it is
necessary to reopen a voting machine which has been relocked or otherwise secured and, if applicable,
resealed to conduct a reinspection thereof, the clerk of court shall relock or otherwise secure and, if
applicable, reseal the machine after the reinspection is completed.
(4) The vote totals shown on the machines shall be retained as provided in R.S. 18:1376.
B. Verification of election results. After the machines are opened, the clerk of court, in the presence
of the parish board of election supervisors or the members of the board selected by the board as its
representatives and the candidates or their representatives, shall immediately verify the total votes cast for
each candidate and the total votes cast for and against each proposition as shown on the election day voting
machines or voting machine official election results reports and the total number of absentee by mail and
early voting votes cast for each candidate and the total number of absentee by mail and early voting votes
cast for and against each proposition as shown by the final absentee by mail and early voting report filed with
the clerk by the parish board of election supervisors. The machine votes cast shall be shown separately by
each precinct. The absentee by mail and early voting votes cast for each candidate and the total number of
absentee by mail and early voting votes cast for and against each proposition as shown by the final absentee
by mail and early voting report filed with the clerk of court by the parish board of election supervisors on
election night shall be shown separately from the precinct totals as the final absentee vote report with the
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total number of votes cast for each candidate and the total number of votes cast for and against each
proposition.
C. Use of employees. The clerk of court may utilize deputy clerks and other employees of his office
to assist him in opening the voting machines and verifying the election results as required in Subsections A
and B of this Section. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the clerk from utilizing more than one team of
his deputies or employees to perform the duties required of him. To facilitate the verification of election
results, two or more voting machines may be opened simultaneously and the results thereon verified.
D. Repealed by