§1279. Vacancies; representatives in congress
When a vacancy occurs in the office of representative in congress, the governor shall
determine the dates on which the special elections shall be held and the dates of the
qualifying period in accordance with R.S. 18:402 and shall issue a proclamation ordering a
special election and specifying the dates on which the first party primary, second primary,
if necessary, and general elections will be held and the dates of the qualifying period for the
election. Within twenty-four hours after issuing the proclamation, the governor shall send
a copy of the proclamation to the secretary of state, who shall within twenty-four hours of
receipt of the information notify all election officials having any duty to perform in
connection with a special election to fill such vacancy, including the parish boards of election
supervisors for the parish or parishes in which the vacancy occurred. Immediately thereafter
the secretary of state shall publish the proclamation in the official journal of each parish in
which the election is to be held. The election shall be conducted in the same manner and at
the same places and the returns shall be certified as in regular congressional elections. If at
a primary or general election in a congressional district one representative in congress is to
be elected for a full term and another to fill a vacancy, the ballots containing the names of
the candidates shall, as a part of the title of the office, designate the term for which the
candidates are respectively nominated.
Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 545, §1, eff.
Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1980, No. 792, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1981; Acts 1981, No. 76, §1, eff. June 26,
1981; Acts 1997, No. 1420, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; Acts 2006, No. 560, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007;
Acts 2007, No. 240, §1; Acts 2010, No. 570, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2022, No. 274, §1,
eff. June 3, 2022; Acts 2025, No. 386, §2, eff. See Act.