§443. State central committee

            A. A member of the state central committee of a recognized political party shall meet the qualifications established by the rules and regulations of the state central committee of that recognized political party.

            B.(1) All members of the state central committee of a recognized political party shall be elected every four years at the same time as the presidential preference primary election.

            (2) Candidates for membership on the state central committee of a recognized political party shall qualify for office pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 5 of this Title.

            (3) If the number of candidates who qualified for office exceeds the number of candidates to be elected for that office, the candidate who receives the greater number of votes cast shall be elected. If two or more offices of the same character are to be filled, each candidate who received the greater number of votes cast, as compared with the number of votes cast for each other candidate, is elected until all offices are filled. If two or more candidates receive the same number of votes, and as a result thereof, the number of candidates who would otherwise be elected exceed the number of remaining offices, the offices shall be filled by a public drawing of lots among such candidates conducted by the state central committee at its organizational meeting held pursuant to Subsection C hereof.

            (4) If, after the close of the qualifying period, the number of candidates for an office for membership on the committee does not exceed the number of persons to be elected to the office, the candidates for that office, or those remaining after the death or withdrawal of one or more candidates, are declared elected by the people, and their names shall not appear on the ballot.

            C. The newly-elected members of the state central committee of a recognized political party shall meet at the state capitol, shall take office, and shall organize the committee within forty days following their election. A majority of the newly-elected members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. No member shall exercise the proxy votes of more than three other members at any meeting. A member shall not vote by proxy at more than two consecutive meetings. No member shall exercise the proxy vote of a member who does not reside in the same congressional district as the member who exercises the proxy vote.

            D. At the first meeting of the state central committee of a recognized political party, the newly-elected members of the committee shall elect the officers provided for by the rules and regulations of the committee.

            E. The state central committee of a recognized political party may adopt rules and regulations for its government that are not inconsistent with the laws of this state, and it may create any committee it deems necessary. Rules and regulations establishing or changing the qualifications for membership on the state central committee or parish executive committees of a recognized political party shall be filed with the secretary of state within ten days after their adoption and shall be published by the state central committee in the Louisiana Register.

            F. Repealed by Acts 2023, No. 91, §2, eff. June 6, 2023.

            G.(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (B)(1) of this Section, in the event an election for members of any such state central committee does not occur at the same time as the presidential preference primary in 2020, the members of the state central committee shall be elected at the runoff of the next regularly scheduled election. The secretary of state shall select the dates for qualification of candidates, conforming as closely as practicable with the timelines established in R.S. 18:467.

            (2) The provisions of this Subsection shall cease to be effective on June 1, 2021.

            Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 523, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1978, No. 292, §1, eff. July 6, 1978; Acts 1981, No. 513, §1, eff. July 19, 1981; Acts 1982, No. 672, §1, eff. July 22, 1982; Acts 1983, No. 519, §1, eff. July 8, 1983; Acts 1984, No. 672, §1; Acts 1985, No. 50, §1; Acts 1986, No. 1030, §1; Acts 1987, No. 119, §1, eff. June 18, 1987; Acts 1990, No. 107, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 1995, No. 300, §1, eff. June 15, 1995; Acts 2020, No. 340, §1, eff. June 13, 2020; Acts 2020, No. 350, §1, eff. June 12, 2020; Acts 2023, No. 91, §2, eff. June 6, 2023.