§ La. R.S. 18:1300.3(untitled)

Certification of registrar of voters; addition or withdrawal of signatures; designation as a
public record; form of names
A.(1)(a) The registrar of voters of each parish in the voting area wherein a recall election is sought
shall certify on the recall petition the number of names appearing thereon, the number of qualified electors
of the voting area within the parish whose handwritten signatures appear on the petition, and also the total
number of electors of the voting area within the parish as of the date of the filing of the petition with the
secretary of state. Each registrar shall indicate on the petition the names appearing thereon who are not
electors of the voting area. Each person who participates in the review of the names on the petition for
certification by the registrar as required in this Section shall initial each of those portions of the petition
which the person reviews for certification by the registrar.
(b) The registrar of voters for each parish in the voting area may request and accept the assistance
of employees of the Department of State and registrars and deputy registrars of voters from other parishes
to complete the certification of the recall petition. Each person offering such assistance shall be considered
a deputy registrar of the requesting parish registrar for that purpose only.
(2)(a) The registrar of voters shall complete the certification of the recall petition within twenty
working days after it is presented to him for that purpose. However, if any parish wholly or partially within
the voting area has more than fifty thousand registered voters, the registrar of voters for each parish within
the voting area shall complete such certification within thirty working days after it is presented to him for
that purpose.
(b) If the petition certification deadline occurs during the time period commencing forty-five days
before a primary election and ending on the date of the corresponding general election, the registrar of voters
for each parish in the voting area is hereby granted an additional ten working days to complete the
certification or an additional twenty working days for any parish wholly or partially within the voting area
that has more than fifty thousand registered voters. If the final day for the registrar to certify the recall
petition falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, then the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or
legal holiday shall be deemed to be the final day for certifying the recall petition.
B.(1) The registrar of voters shall honor the written request of any voter who either desires to have
his handwritten signature stricken from the petition or desires to have his handwritten signature added to the
petition at any time after receipt of the signed petition as provided in R.S. 18:1300.2(C) but prior to
certification of the petition or within five days after receipt of such signed petition, whichever is earlier. If
the deadline for removing or adding a signature to the petition falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday,
then the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday shall be deemed to be the deadline for
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R.S. 18:1300.5
removing or adding a signature to the petition. The written request of the voter shall include the name and
address of the voter, the signature of the voter, the date of birth of the voter, and the date.
(2) The voter or any other person designated by the voter shall transmit the written request to the
registrar of voters for each parish within the voting area by mail or directly by hand, immediately upon
signature of the voter or upon receipt of the signed, written request.
(3) The written request of a voter to have his signature stricken from or added to the recall petition
shall be a public record at the time that the recall petition becomes public record.
C.(1) When there is no registrar of voters, or deputy registrar of voters in any parish, or in case of
the absence or inability of that officer, the clerk of the district court of the parish shall execute the certificate.
(2) Immediately after the recall petition is certified, a copy of the petition shall be made and the
original recall petition shall be sent to the governor by the officer executing the certificate. Such copy shall
be retained in the office of the registrar of voters in each parish affected by the petition and shall be a public
record.
(3) On the date the recall petition is sent to the governor, the registrar of voters or person who
executes the certificate as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall provide written notice of the
certification to the public officer whose recall is sought. The written notice required by this Paragraph shall
be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the registration address of the public officer.
D. When any officer designated in this Chapter refuses to execute the certificates provided for, any
signer of a recall petition, or the chairman or vice chairman designated to represent the signers, may compel
the execution of the certificates by summary process in the district court having jurisdiction over the officer.
E. The registrar of voters shall comply with the provisions of R.S. 18:3 when determining the
number of qualified electors of the voting area who signed the petition.