RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 550 (HB 221) 2024 Regular Session Bayham
Existing law requires that a petition to recall an elected official contain certain information.
For each voter that signs a petition, the petition shall include the date the voter signed the
petition, the name of the person who witnessed the signature, and the date on which the
witness saw the voter sign the petition.
New law further requires inclusion of the month, day, and year the voter signed the petition;
the typed or legibly written name of the witness; and the month, day, and year the witness
saw the voter sign the petition.
Prior law required recall petitions to include the signer's ward and precinct.
New law repeals prior law.
Existing law prohibits the registrar of voters from counting any signature that is undated.
New law additionally prohibits the registrar of voters from counting any signature that does
not conform with the additional form requirements provided for in new law.
Existing law requires the secretary of state to provide a form approved by the attorney
general to be used for the petition in a recall election.
New law further requires that the form include preprinted line numbers.
New law requires the secretary of state, upon receipt of a recall petition, to provide a
document including general information on petition requirements and deadlines to the
chairman and vice chairman designated to represent the petitioners.
New law provides that the copy of the unsigned petition becomes a public record when filed
with the secretary of state.
New law requires the registrar of voters to affix the date received and a page number to the
front of each page of a signed and dated recall petition.
New law requires a chairman to submit to the registrar of voters with a recall petition an
affidavit verifying the number of signatures submitted along with an attestation that all
documents submitted are originals and not photocopies.
Existing law requires each registrar to indicate on the petition the names appearing thereon
who are not electors of the voting area. Requires each person who participates in the review
of the names on the petition for certification to initial each of those portions of the petition
which he reviews.
Existing law requires a registrar of voters to certify a recall petition within a specified time
period after its submission. Provides a standard time period and longer time period that is
applicable if any parish wholly or partially within the voting area has more than 50,000
registered voters.
Prior law required certification within 15 working days or 20 days if a parish in the voting
area has more than 50,000 registered voters.
New law increases these time periods to 20 and 30 working days respectively.
New law grants a registrar of voters additional time to complete the recall petition
certification if the deadline would occur during the time period commencing 45 days before
a primary election and ending on the date of the corresponding general election. Grants the
registrar 10 additional working days or 20 additional working days if a parish in the voting
area has more than 50,000 registered voters.
New law authorizes the registrar of voters to request and accept the assistance of employees
of the Dept. of State and registrars and deputy registrars of other parishes for the purpose of completing the certification of the recall petition. Provides that persons offering assistance
are to be considered deputy registrars for that purpose only.
Prior law provided that a recall petition, including the name, address, and signature of each
elector who signed the petition, became a public record upon the signature of the first elector.
New law instead provides that the signed recall petition and the name, address, and signature
of each elector who signed the petition becomes a public record 90 days after the signature
of the first elector.
Existing law allows any voter to make a written request to have his signature stricken from
or added to a recall petition within a certain time period after the registrar receives the
petition.
Prior law provided that a written request to strike or add a name is a public record.
New law makes the request a public record upon the passage of 90 days after the signature
of the first elector.
Effective January 1, 2025. Applies only to recall petitions filed with the secretary of state
on or after January 1, 2025.
(Amends R.S. 18:3(A), 1300.2(A)(2), (C)(1) and (2), and (D), 1300.3(A) and (B), and
1300.5(B) and R.S. 44:4.1(B)(10))