§844.50. Referendum
A. A local governing authority by a majority vote shall call an election on whether or not the local government shall provide the proposed covered services, before engaging or offering to engage in providing such services. An election held for authorization to issue bonds to finance the provision of covered services pursuant to any law of this state, and held before engaging or offering to engage in providing the proposed covered services, shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Section. One election called by the local governmental authority shall satisfy the requirements of this Section.
B. If the local governing authority calls an election, the election shall be held:
(1)(a) At the next local government general election; or
(b) As provided in Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 at a local special election, the purpose of which is authorized by this Section.
(2) In accordance with Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 except as provided in this Section.
C. The notice of the election shall include with any other information required by law:
(1) A summary of the covered services that the local governing authority proposes to provide to subscribers residing within the boundaries of the local government.
(2) The feasibility study summary under R.S. 45:844.49.
(3) A statement that a full copy of the feasibility study is available for inspection and copying.
(4) The location in the city or parish or both where the feasibility study may be inspected or copied.
D. The ballot at the election shall pose the question substantially as follows:
"Shall the [name of the local government] be authorized to provide [cable television service or telecommunications or advanced service]?"
E. The ballot proposition may not take effect until submitted to the electors and approved by the majority of those voting on the ballot.
F. A local governing authority that has existing procedures on whether, when, and how to conduct referenda shall utilize those procedures in lieu of the procedures set forth in this Section, provided that the procedures for conducting referenda contain notice and hearing requirements that are substantially similar to those set forth herein.
G. In the event the local governing authority does not have existing procedures on whether, when, and how to conduct referenda, it shall utilize the following procedures:
(1) Upon the valid petition of not less than fifteen percent of or ten thousand, whichever is lesser, of the qualified electors of a local government, submitted to the registrar of voters for verification within one hundred eighty days of submission of the feasibility study to the local governing authority, the local governing authority shall order a referendum election to be held to determine whether or not the local government may offer or provide covered services.
(2)(a) Any qualified elector desiring a referendum election shall sign a petition addressed to the local governing authority of the local government in which he resides, and in substantially the following form:
"PETITION
TO: [Name of local government]
The undersigned qualified electors respectfully request that you call an election to submit, in the manner provided by law, to the qualified electors of [name of local government] the following proposition:
Shall the [name of the local government] be authorized to offer or provide cable television, telecommunications, or advanced services?
Signature:
_______________________________
Address:
_______________________________
Date:
_______________________________"
(b) Where signatures are made on more than one sheet, each sheet of the petition shall reproduce above the signatures in the same manner as is on the first sheet. Each petitioner shall sign his name in his own handwriting and shall write his address and the date on which he signed, otherwise his signature shall be null and void. If an elector cannot sign his name because of age or physical condition, he may have his name and address and the date written by another and shall affix his ordinary "X" mark in the presence of two competent electors, who shall sign their names as witnesses to the mark.
(3) The petition shall be filed with the registrar of voters within ninety days after the date on which the first signature was affixed. The petition, when so filed, becomes a public record and cannot be returned to the proponents or signers thereof.
(4) The registrar of voters shall check the petition and attach thereto his sworn verification showing:
(a) The date the petition was filed.
(b) The date of the first signature of the petition.
(c) The number of qualified electors of the parish or municipality on the registration rolls as of the date of the first signature on the petition, which date shall be used by the registrar in ascertaining if the petition contains the required number of signatures.
(d) That he has checked each signature for its genuineness by comparing the signature on the petition with the signature of the same person on the registration rolls.
(e) The total number of genuine signatures of qualified electors on the petition.
(f) The number of signatures not genuine, or not signed and written in the manner required by Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.
(5) Within thirty days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, from the date the petition was filed with the registrar of voters, the registrar shall file a true copy of the sworn verification required in Paragraph (4) of this Subsection with the local governing authority charged with the duty of calling the election.
(6) Any person whose signature appears on a local option petition and who alleges that such signature is not genuine is hereby authorized to execute and file with the registrar of voters, a sworn affidavit, attesting that the affiant did not sign the petition. The registrar of voters, when checking the signatures for genuineness, shall take the affidavit into consideration, but in no instance shall he certify the signature not to be genuine, unless the comparison of the signatures indicates that the signature is indeed not genuine. Affidavits executed pursuant to this Subsection shall be subject to the perjury provisions of Title 14 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.
(7)(a) The clerk of the local governing authority with whom the petition is filed by the registrar of voters shall attach to the petition its sworn verification showing the date, month, and year the petition was filed with it.
(b) If the petition conforms to all the provisions of this Subsection, the local governing authority shall order the election. The ordinance or resolution of the local governing authority ordering the election shall be adopted at a regular meeting held not less than thirty nor more than forty-five days after the date the petition was filed with the local governing authority by the registrar of voters.
(c) The local governing authority shall remove the name of any signer of the petition if requested to do so in writing within thirty days after the date the petition was filed with it. If the number of written requests for withdrawal from the petition reduces the number of qualified petitioners to less than the number required by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the election shall not be ordered and the petition shall be null and void and cannot be used again.
(d) The date fixed for the election shall be not less than forty-five nor more than sixty days after the date of the adoption of the ordinance or resolution ordering the election.
(8)(a) When such election has been ordered the following propositions requested to be submitted on the approved and verified petition required by this Chapter, and no others shall be plainly printed upon a special ballot to be used for the election, otherwise the election shall be null and void:
"Shall the [name of local government] be authorized to provide [cable television service or telecommunications or advanced service]?"
(b) In an election a majority vote cast on the proposition shall determine that issue for the local government that has called the election.
(9) The election called shall be governed by the Louisiana Election Code, R.S. 18:401 et seq.
(10) If the petition fails to substantially comply with the requirements provided for by law or if the other requirements specified by the law for the calling or conduct of the election are not substantially complied with, the election is illegal and ineffective and may be declared null and void by any court of competent jurisdiction at the suit of any elector who was qualified to vote in the election. This suit shall be brought within thirty days of the promulgation of the results of the election.
(11) The local governing authority calling the election shall promulgate the result by resolution or ordinance adopted at its first regular meeting after the election and shall publish it in the official journal of the parish.
Acts 2004, No. 736, §1, eff. July 6, 2004; Acts 2005, No. 406, §1, eff. July 11, 2005.