Louisiana § RS 18:601 - Vacancy in state legislative office; legislative service

§ RS 18:601. Vacancy in state legislative office; legislative service

            A.(1) If a vacancy in the office of a state legislator occurs and if six months or more of the term remains unexpired, then within ten days of the vacancy occurring, the presiding officer of the house in which the vacancy occurs shall issue a proclamation advising of the vacancy and ordering a special election to fill the vacancy and shall specify in the proclamation, in accordance with R.S. 18:402, the dates on which the primary and general elections shall be held and, in accordance with R.S. 18:467 and 468, the dates of the qualifying period for candidates in the special election. However, if the deadline for issuing the proclamation falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, then the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday shall be deemed to be the final day for issuing such proclamation. The speaker of the House of Representatives or the president of the Senate shall immediately forward such information to the secretary of state, who shall within twenty-four hours after 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. The secretary of state shall also publish the proclamation in the official journal of each parish in which the election is to be held.

            (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection or R.S. 18:402, if a vacancy in the office of state legislator occurs and if six months or more of the term remains unexpired and in the discretion of the presiding officer of the house of the legislature in which the vacancy occurs a person may be elected and serve during a session of the legislature which occurs prior to the next regularly scheduled election dates provided in R.S. 18:402, then within ten days of the vacancy occurring, the presiding officer of the house in which the vacancy occurs shall determine the dates of the primary and general elections and the dates of the qualifying period for the election and shall issue a proclamation advising of the vacancy and setting forth the election dates and dates of the qualifying period for candidates. However, if the deadline for issuing the proclamation falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, then the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday shall be deemed to be the final day for issuing such proclamation. The speaker of the House of Representatives or the president of the Senate shall immediately forward such information to the secretary of state, who shall within twenty-four hours after 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. The secretary of state shall also publish the proclamation in the official journal of each parish in which the election is to be held.

            B. For purposes of Article III, Section 4(E) of the Constitution of Louisiana only, the service of a person who is elected to fill an unexpired term in the office of state legislator shall begin at the time such person takes the oath of office before his house of the legislature.

            Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; 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 1992, No. 730, §1, eff. July 6, 1992; Acts 1997, No. 1420, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; Acts 2005, No. 431, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2006, No. 403, §1, eff. June 15, 2006; Acts 2011, No. 201, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2012; Acts 2024, No. 640, §4, eff. See Act.