§423. Parish boards of election supervisors
A. Creation. There is created a board of election supervisors for each parish.
B. Powers and duties. (1) The parish board of election supervisors shall supervise the preparation for and the conduct of all elections held in the parish. All papers filed with the parish board of election supervisors shall be filed with the president or the secretary of the board. The list of watchers shall be filed as provided in R.S. 18:435(B). The parish board of election supervisors shall maintain a permanent street address, which shall be filed with the secretary of state and the clerk of court.
(2) The members of the parish board of election supervisors, except the registrar of voters or the clerk of court, shall complete annual training that is related to the preparation for and the conduct of elections and that is prepared by the secretary of state and approved by the attorney general.
C. Composition. (1) In each parish, the board of election supervisors shall be composed of the registrar of voters, the clerk of court, the chairman of the parish executive committee of each recognized political party or his designee, or an alternate designee if the designee cannot serve, both of whom shall be members of the parish executive committee of the same recognized political party, and one member, or an alternate member if the member cannot serve, appointed by the governor.
(2) In a parish where a parish executive committee of a recognized political party has not been formed or where there is a vacancy in the office of chairman, the chairman of the state central committee of that political party may appoint a voter and an alternate voter who are registered in the parish as being affiliated with the political party to serve on the parish board of election supervisors.
(3) None of the following members of the parish board of election supervisors shall be an employee of the clerk of court or the registrar of voters in the parish or an immediate family member of the clerk of court or his designee or the registrar of voters or his designee:
(a) The designee or alternate designee of the chairman of a parish executive committee.
(b) The appointee or alternate appointee of the chairman of a state central committee.
(c) The appointee or alternate appointee of the governor.
D.(1) Officers. At least every four years, each parish board of election supervisors shall elect one of its members as president of the board and may elect a secretary and any other officers it deems necessary. The parish board of election supervisors shall file a list of its officers with the secretary of state whenever one or more of its officers change.
(2) Employees. In a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand or more, the parish board of election supervisors may employ an executive administrator who shall be the principal assistant to the parish board of election supervisors.
NOTE: Subsection E eff. until Jan. 1, 2026. See Acts 2024, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 1.
E. Compensation. Each member of the parish board of election supervisors shall receive one hundred fifty dollars for each day, not to exceed six days, actually spent in the performance of his duties in preparing for and supervising each election held in the parish, except that each member of the board may be compensated for not more than seven days for a presidential or regularly scheduled congressional primary or general election. In addition, each member of the board who is not a public official shall receive fifty dollars for each day spent in court as a subpoenaed witness in litigation concerning the performance of his duties as a member of the parish board of election supervisors in connection with an election.
NOTE: Subsection E as amended by Acts 2024, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.
E. Compensation. Each member of the parish board of election supervisors shall receive one hundred fifty dollars for each day, not to exceed six days, actually spent in the performance of his duties in preparing for and supervising each election held in the parish, except that each member of the board may be compensated for not more than eight days for a presidential or regularly scheduled or special congressional primary or general election. In addition, each member of the board who is not a public official shall receive fifty dollars for each day spent in court as a subpoenaed witness in litigation concerning the performance of his duties as a member of the parish board of election supervisors in connection with an election.
F. Materials and expenses. The secretary of state shall furnish each parish board of election supervisors with the numbered balls and other materials used to select commissioners-in-charge, commissioners and alternate commissioners.
G. Legal representation. The attorney general shall be the attorney and legal advisor to each parish board of election supervisors. The attorney general may designate the appropriate district attorney to represent a board or, with respect to a particular matter, he may authorize a board to employ special counsel. Any compensation for special counsel shall be fixed by the board, subject to approval by the attorney general, and shall be paid by the parish governing authority.
H. Designees. (1) The clerk of court and the registrar of voters may each appoint a designee to serve in his place on the parish board of election supervisors when he is absent from any meetings of the board. Any designee of the registrar of voters shall be a sworn deputy registrar. For each day of such service the designee of the clerk of court or the registrar of voters shall be paid the same compensation as a member, and the designating member shall not be compensated for that day. Any compensation paid to the designee shall be counted against the designating member's compensation, which shall not exceed the number of days as provided in Subsection E of this Section.
(2) For each day of service, the designee or alternate designee of the chairman of the parish executive committee, the designee or alternate designee of the chairman of the state central committee, and the member or alternate member of the governor shall be paid the same compensation as a member or appointee, and the designating member or appointee shall not be compensated for that day. Any compensation paid to the designee or alternate designee of the chairman of the parish executive committee, designee or alternate designee of the chairman of the state central committee, or member or alternate member appointed by the governor shall be counted against the compensation of the designating member or governor's member, which shall not exceed the number of days as provided in Subsection E of this Section.
I. Meetings. Each parish board of election supervisors shall conduct its business in the presence of a quorum.
J. Notwithstanding any provision of Subsection E of this Section to the contrary, in a parish where the parish board of election supervisors tabulates and counts absentee by mail and early voting ballots in accordance with R.S. 18:1313.1, a member of the board may be compensated not more than nine days for a presidential or regularly scheduled congressional primary or general election or eight days for any other primary or general election.
Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 534, §1; Acts 1981, No. 77, §1, eff. June 26, 1981; Acts 1983, No. 519, §1, eff. July 8, 1983; Acts 1983, No. 520, §1; Acts 1983, No. 681, §1, eff. July 21, 1983; Acts 1985, No. 224, §1; Acts 2001, No. 451, §6, eff. Jan. 12, 2004; Acts 2002, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 130, §1, eff. April 23, 2002; Acts 2003, No. 1220, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 745, §1; Acts 2005, No. 431, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2007, No. 240, §1; Acts 2009, No. 369, §1; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 32, §1; Acts 2018, No. 584, §1, eff. May 28, 2018; Acts 2020, No. 130, §1; Acts 2020, No. 354, §1, eff. June 12, 2020; Acts 2020, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 9, §1, eff. Oct. 23, 2020; Acts 2021, No. 12, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2022; Acts 2021, No. 381, §1, eff. June 17, 2021; Acts 2021, No. 423, §1; Acts 2022, No. 274, §2; Acts 2022, No. 423, §1; Acts 2023, No. 235, §1, see Act; Acts 2024, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 1, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.