La. R.S. § 18:1313 Tabulation and Counting of Absentee By Mail and Early Voting Ballots

• Library: Louisiana Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with changes from the 2023 Legislative Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: La. R.S. § 18:1313

A. [(1) The parish board of election supervisors in a parish that has fewer than one thousand absentee by mail ballots returned to the registrar of voters for a primary or general election shall conduct the tabulation and counting of absentee by mail and early voting ballots in accordance with this Section.]

[(2)] The parish board of election supervisors [in a parish that has one thousand or more absentee by mail ballots returned to the registrar of voters for a primary or general election] may conduct the tabulation and counting of absentee by mail and early voting ballots in accordance with this Section. The parish board shall notify the secretary of state in writing no later than five days prior to a primary or general election that the tabulation and counting of absentee by mail and early voting ballots will be conducted pursuant to this Section or pursuant to R.S. 18:1313.1.

B. The parish board of election supervisors shall be responsible for the preparation, verification, counting, and tabulation of all absentee by mail and early voting ballots in the parish. The board may utilize parish board commissioners to count the absentee by mail and early voting ballots in the parish. If the board determines that parish board commissioners are necessary to prepare, verify, count and tabulate the absentee by mail and early voting ballots, it shall select parish board commissioners in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 18:1314. If a majority of the members of the board are not present to count the absentee by mail and early voting ballots and no parish board commissioners were previously selected, the members present may select a sufficient number of parish board commissioners on election day to assist in the counting of absentee by mail and early voting ballots.

C.

(1) Absentee by mail and early voting ballots shall be counted at a public facility within the parish designated by the registrar of voters at a time fixed by the parish board of election supervisors, which time shall be on election day no later than 8:00 p.m.

(2) Prior to the counting of absentee by mail and early voting ballots on election day, any person authorized by the secretary of state may assist the registrar of voters in the challenge removal process on the early voting machines, in the reading of the early voting machine results cartridges on the secretary of state's equipment, and in producing the early voting machine results report. All early voting machine results reports shall be placed in the special, secure absentee by mail and early voting [envelope or] container.

D.

(1) If the preparation, verification, counting, and tabulation of absentee by mail and early voting ballots begins prior to the closing of the polls, such preparation, verification, counting, and tabulation shall be conducted in a location and manner to prevent disclosure of the results prior to the closing of the polls. Each person except a person providing security to the parish board of election supervisors; a representative of the attorney general, with written approval of the secretary of state; the clerk of court; the registrar of voters; or a person providing technical assistance pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this Subsection who enters the location in which the absentee by mail and early voting ballots are being prepared, verified, counted, and tabulated shall remain in that location and shall not be allowed to leave except temporarily, and then only when accompanied by a law enforcement officer, and shall not communicate with any person outside until the polls are closed. The parish board of election supervisors may take any action necessary to ensure that no information with respect to the preparation, verification, counting, and tabulation of absentee by mail and early voting ballots is transmitted from the location where the absentee by mail and early voting ballots are being counted and tabulated prior to the close of the polls on election day.

(2) Any person authorized by the secretary of state may provide security or technical assistance including advice, analysis, diagnosis, or repair for voting machines at the location where absentee by mail and early voting votes are being prepared, verified, counted, and tabulated. Such security or technical assistance shall be provided only upon the request of the parish board of election supervisors or a team of parish board commissioners, and may be made in person at the location where absentee by mail and early voting votes are being prepared, verified, counted, and tabulated, or by telephone, or both. Any authorized person providing such security or technical assistance may enter and leave the location where absentee by mail and early voting votes are being prepared, verified, counted, and tabulated before the closing of the polls and during the process of counting and tabulation. No such person shall disclose any information with respect to the preparation, verification, counting, and tabulation of absentee by mail and early voting ballots prior to the close of the polls on election day.