The Green Papers: Louisiana State and Local Government

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Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2020 Census: 4,661,468 (1.40% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 8 (1.49% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 6 (1.38% of 435)
2010 Census: 4,553,962 (1.47% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 8 (1.49% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 6 (1.38% of 435)
Capital: Baton Rouge

Current Louisiana Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The STATE of Louisiana
Status: STATE of the Union
Organized as a Territory: 26 March 1804. 2 Stat. 283: as the Territory of "Orleans"; previously, part of the so-called "Louisiana Purchase" formally annexed by the United States via Treaty with the French Republic, 21 October 1803
Admitted to the Union as a State: 30 April 1812 by an Act of Congress of 8 April 1812 (2 Stat.701)
The 18th state.

Traditional Sections and Regions All States

Section: SOUTH
Region: Lower ["Deep"] South
Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 20 February 1811 [2 Stat. 641: authorizing the formation of a State government alone]
- 1st (1812-1845) [Adopted: 22 January 1812 Convention convened, 4 November 1811, Ratified: 22 January 1812 not submitted to the People; effective upon Admission, 30 April 1812]
- 2nd (1845-1852) [Adopted: 16 May 1845 Convention convened, 5 August 1844, Ratified: 5 November 1845 effective, 1 December 1845]
- 3rd (1852-1864) [Adopted: 31 July 1852 Convention convened, 5 July 1852, Ratified: 1 November 1852 effective, 29 November 1852]
- 4th (1864-1868) [Adopted: 23 July 1864 Convention convened, 4 April 1864, Ratified: 5 September 1864 ratified by vote of 6,836 to 1,566; effective, 19 September 1864]
- 5th (1868-1879) [Adopted: 2 March 1868 Convention convened, December 1867, Ratified: 18 August 1868 ratified by a vote of 66,152 to 48,739]
- 6th (1879-1898) [Adopted: 23 July 1879 Convention convened, 21 April 1879, Ratified: 2 December 1879 effective, 29 December 1879]
- 7th (1898-1913) [Adopted: 12 May 1898 on 22 November 1913, a Convention formally adopted a recodification of this Constitution; this recodification was not submitted to the People. In the opinion of 'TheGreenPapers.com', this 1913 recodification is not a new Constitution in and of itself, Ratified: 12 May 1898 not submitted to the People]
- 8th (1921-1974) [Adopted: 21 June 1921 Convention convened, 1 March 1921, Ratified: 21 June 1921 not submitted to the People]
- 9th (1975-) [Adopted: 1974 Convention convened, 5 January 1973, Ratified: 20 April 1974 effective, 1 January 1975]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
- GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
- Lieutenant Governor [elected separately from GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027. Elected separately from Governor.
- Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Commissioner of Elections and Registration (--2003): 4 year term, Final Election Cycle: 1999. As of January 2004, this office will disappear completely (there will be no election for this office in 2003 or anytime thereafter).
- Commissioner of Insurance: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
- LEGISLATURE

Upper House
- Senate
Lower House
- House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
- Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
- Courts of Appeal [IN: circuit FOR: State]

Local Government All States

PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- Parish [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: POLICE JURY]
  - MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    - ward [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]

Localities All States
- Louisiana Civil Divisions and Municipalities

Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States

Louisiana Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
- Federal: Tuesday next after 1st Monday in November in even-numbered years [La. Revised Statutes 18:402B(2)] (NOTE: Because of the ruling of the Federal courts that the statutory date for the Federal Primary in Louisiana is violative of Federal statute 2 USC 7 (which the courts held requires that no one can be formally elected to Congress until the date set for the General Election, this date is used as the date of the so-called "Open Primary" for U.S. Senators and Representatives in Congress.)
  State: 4th Saturday after the 2d to last Saturday in October in odd-numbered years [La. Revised Statutes 18:402A(2)] (held, between the top two vote-getters, for any office re: which no candidate received at least a majority of the vote in the Primary; thus, the General Election in Louisiana is really a Runoff)
Presidential Primary All States
- (2007-2011) A statewide presidential preference primary election shall be held on the second Saturday in February ... except when a legal holiday falls on the second Tuesday of February, in which case, the presidential preference primary election shall be held on the third Saturday in February. [RS 18:1280.21 A.] [The legal holiday refers to Mardi Gras. -Ed]
- (2012-2014) A statewide presidential preference primary election shall be held on the third Saturday after the first Tuesday in March ... [RS 18:1280.21 A.]
- (2014-2019) A statewide presidential preference primary election shall be held on the first Saturday in March ... [R.S. 18:402(C)(1) and 1280.21.(A)]
- (2019-2023) ... the statewide presidential preference primary election shall be held on the first Saturday in April in 2020.... [R.S. 18:1280.21(A) and 1280.21.1. A.(1)]
- (2023--) A statewide presidential preference primary election shall be held on the last Saturday in March in 2024 and every fourth year thereafter ... [LA Rev Stat § 18:1280.21 (2021) A.]
  No election of any kind shall be held in this state on any of the days of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, the first two days and the last two days of Passover, Shavuot, Tish'a B'Av, the two days preceding Labor Day or the three days preceding Easter. If the date of any election falls on any of the above-named days, the election shall be held on the same weekday of the preceding week. [LA Rev Stat § 18:402 (G)]
State Primary All States
- (--2006) for Federal office: 1st Saturday in October of even-numbered years [La. Revised Statutes 18:402B(1) (Note: Federal courts have ruled that this date violates Federal statute 2 USC 7 because it allows for candidates to be formally elected to Congress prior to the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, the date set for Congressional elections by that Federal statute)
  for State office: 2d to last Saturday in October of odd-numbered years [La. Revised Statutes 18:402A(1)] (this is the so-called "Open Primary" in which all candidates- regardless of Party- run against each other "all up" on one ballot; if a candidate should receive at least a majority of the total vote in this Primary, he/she is declared to have been elected and there is no election for the office in question come the General Election)
- (2007-2010) SENATE BILL NO. 18 §1275.2 B. [RS 18:402 B (1)] Congressional first party primary elections shall be held on the first Saturday in September of an election year. [RS 18:402 B (2)] Congressional second party primary elections shall be held on the first Saturday in October of an election year.
  SENATE BILL NO. 18 §1275.14. A. In the event that no candidate receives a majority vote in the first party primary, the two candidates from each political party, who received the greatest number of votes in the first party primary shall be voted on in the second party primary.
  RS 18.402.G. Prohibited days. No election of any kind shall be held in this state on any of the days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth, Shimini Atzereth, Simchas Torah, the first two days and the last two days of Passover, Shavuoth, Fast of AV, the two days preceding Labor Day or the three days preceding Easter. If the date of any election falls on any of the above named days, the election shall be held on the same weekday of the preceding week. If the date of the election for a second party primary is advanced pursuant to this Subsection, the first party primary shall also be advanced by the same number of weeks.
- (2011-2014) • Elections for governor and officers ... shall be held every four years, beginning in 1983. ... primary elections shall be held on the second to last Saturday in October ... general elections shall be held on the fourth Saturday after the second to last Saturday in October ... [RS 18:402 A.(1) and A.(2)]
  • Congressional elections ...shall be held every two years, beginning in 1982. Primary elections ... shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November ... General elections ... shall be held on the first Saturday in December ... [RS 18:402 B.(1) and B.(2)]
  • A candidate ... who receives a majority of the votes cast ... in a primary election is elected. [RS 18:511 A.]
  • No election of any kind shall be held in this state on any of the days of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, the first two days and the last two days of Passover, Shavuot, Tish'a B'Av, the two days preceding Labor Day or the three days preceding Easter. If the date of any election falls on any of the above-named days, the election shall be held on the same weekday of the preceding week. [RS 18:402 G.]
- (2015--) • Elections for governor and officers ... shall be held every four years, beginning in 1983. ... primary elections shall be ... on the third to last Saturday in October ... general elections shall be ... on the fifth Saturday after the third to last Saturday in October ... [RS 18:402 A.(1) and A.(2)]
  • Congressional elections ...shall be ... every two years, beginning in 1982. Primary elections ... shall be ... on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November ... General elections ... shall be ... on the fifth Saturday after the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November ... [RS 18:402 B.(1) and B.(2)]
  • A candidate ... who receives a majority of the votes cast ... in a primary election is elected. [RS 18:511 A.]
  • No election ... shall be held ... on ... Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, the first two days and the last two days of Passover, Shavuot, Tish'a B'Av, the two days preceding Labor Day or the three days preceding Easter. If the date of any election falls on ... the above ... the election shall be held on the same weekday of the preceding week. If the date for the primary election is advanced ... the general election shall be advanced the same number of weeks .... If the date for the general election is advanced ... the primary election shall be advanced the same number of weeks .... [RS 18:402 G.]
Polling times All States
- (--2013) In the primary and general elections, the polls shall open at 6:00 a.m. on election day and shall close at 8:00 p.m. on election day. [RS 18:541]
- (2013--) In the primary and general elections, the polls shall open at 7:00 a.m. ... and shall close at 8:00 p.m. ... [RS 18:541.A.]
  ... in regularly scheduled congressional primary elections ... the polls shall open at 6:00 a.m. on election day and shall close at 8 p.m. on election day. [RS 18:541.B.]
  That is, polls open at 7:00 a.m. for SATURDAY elections and at 6 a.m. for TUESDAY elections. Polls close at 8:00 p.m. --Ed.

Links Links to other web sites. These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes.

Election Authority. All States
Democratic
- Louisiana Democratic Party
Republican
- The Republican Party of Louisiana
Third Party
Media & others

State and Local Government Outline

Modified .