§ La. R.S. 18:574(untitled)

Compilation and promulgation of returns
A.(1) The parish board of election supervisors or the members of the board selected by the board
as its representatives shall meet at the time and place designated by the clerk of court for the voting machines
to be opened. The board or its representatives shall observe the verification of the votes by the clerk of court.
(2) Immediately after the completion of the verification by the clerk of court and the counting and
tabulation of provisional ballots for federal office, if applicable, the board shall publicly prepare two
compiled statements of the election returns as shown by the record of the votes made by the clerk of court.
The compiled statements shall separately show the machine votes for each candidate and for and against each
proposition in each precinct, the total absentee by mail and early voting votes for each candidate and for and
against each proposition in the parish, the total provisional votes for each candidate for federal office, and
the total of all votes for each candidate and for and against each proposition in the parish.
(3) The board shall complete the compilation of the election returns and file one copy of the
compiled statement with the clerk of court no later than 4:00 p.m. on the fifth day after the election. One
copy of the compiled statement shall be postmarked no later than noon on the sixth day after the election and
mailed to the secretary of state. The clerk of court shall transmit the election returns as shown by the
compiled statement from the parish board of election supervisors to the secretary of state no later than noon
on the sixth day after the election. In a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred
thousand or more, the parish board of election supervisors shall transmit the election returns as shown by
their compiled statement to the secretary of state no later than noon on the sixth day after the election.
Failure to comply with these time limits shall not void the election.
B. By a majority vote of the members, the parish board of election supervisors may complete and
attach to the compiled statements a notation of irregularities form prepared by the secretary of state to
document irregularities observed by the board with respect to:
(1) The security of the place in which the voting machines are located.
(2) The security of the voting machines.
(3) The physical condition of the voting machines.
(4) The physical condition of the election materials in the voting machines.
(5) The substantive contents of the election materials in the voting machines.
(6) Any other matter affecting the verification of the vote totals by the clerk of court.
C. The compiled statements made by the parish board of election supervisors shall be admissible
in court in an action contesting a primary or general election as prima facie proof of the number of votes
received by the candidates in the election.
D.(1) The secretary of state shall verify and compile the results of the election for all candidates,
proposed constitutional amendments, and recall elections based upon the compilation of the votes transmitted
to him by the clerks of court from the compiled statements by the parish boards of election supervisors. In
a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand or more, the secretary of state
shall verify and compile the results of the election for all candidates, proposed constitutional amendments,
and recall elections based upon the compilation of the votes transmitted to him by the parish board of election
supervisors. The compilation and verification shall be completed and the results thereof shall be announced
on the secretary of state's website not later than noon on the seventh day after the election.
(2) The secretary of state shall announce the results for state candidates, proposed constitutional
amendments, and recall elections and that the results of elections for candidates other than state candidates
are available in his office. The results thus announced shall be deemed to be the tentative results of the
election and shall not be deemed to be the official results of the election.
166 – House of Representatives Database
R.S. 18:576
E.(1) On or before the fourteenth day after the primary or general election, if no action has been
timely filed contesting the election to the office of a state candidate, the secretary of state shall promulgate
the returns for state candidates, proposed constitutional amendments, and recall elections by publishing in
the official journal of the state the names of the state candidates for each office in the election, the text of
the proposed constitutional amendment, and recall elections and the number of votes received by each such
candidate, proposed constitutional amendment, and recall elections as shown by the returns transmitted by
the clerks of court from the compiled statements by the parish boards of election supervisors. In a parish
containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand or more, the promulgation shall be
from the returns transmitted by the parish board of election supervisors. On or before the fourteenth day after
the primary or general election, if no action has been timely filed contesting the election to office of a
candidate other than a state candidate, the secretary of state shall promulgate the returns for the election for
candidates other than state candidates by publishing on the secretary of state's website a notice containing
the results of the elections for candidates other than state candidates.
(2) However, if the fourteenth day after the primary or general election falls on a Saturday, Sunday,
or other legal holiday, and the secretary of state does not promulgate the returns prior to the fourteenth day
after the primary or general election, he shall promulgate the returns on the next day which is not a Saturday,
Sunday, or other legal holiday.
F. Computation of all time intervals in this Section and Chapter 7 of this Title shall include
Saturdays, Sundays, and other legal holidays. However, if the final day in a time interval falls on a Saturday,
Sunday, or other legal holiday, then the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday shall be
deemed to be the final day of the time interval. If one or more of the duties in this Section or Chapter 7 of
this Title required to be performed on the fifth, sixth, seventh, or fourteenth day after an election are delayed
because of a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the duties which follow will be delayed a like amount
of time.