2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 18 — Louisiana election code
RS 18:1259 — Arrangement of ballot; designation of party candidates

§1259. Arrangement of ballot; designation of party candidates

A. In any year in which presidential electors are to be elected, the secretary of state shall arrange the voting machine ballot in such manner that the names of candidates for president and vice president shall appear on the ballot in the first column, beginning at the top and proceeding downward. If necessary, the listing of the names of candidates for president and vice president may continue in the second and succeeding columns. The names of the presidential electors shall appear on the ballot in the manner as provided for in Subsection B of this Section.

B.(1) The ballot shall be so arranged that the names of the candidate for president and the candidate for vice president nominated by each recognized political party, by nominating petition, or by filing of notices of candidacy accompanied by a qualifying fee shall appear prominently together with the name of the presidential candidate on top and the name of the vice presidential candidate directly underneath.

(2) Directly to the left of the names of the presidential and vice presidential candidates shall appear:

(a) If nominated by a recognized political party, the name of the party and such national party emblem, if any, or state party device, if any, as the state central committee of the party shall direct, and

(b) If nominated by a nominating petition or by the filing of notices of candidacy, the political principal which the candidates support, as stated on the nominating petition or on the notices of candidacy, if any, and the words "Nominating Petition" or the abbreviation "Nom. Petition" shall appear if nominated by petition.

(3) Immediately below the name of the party, or, if nominated by a nominating petition, the words "Nominating Petition" or the abbreviation "Nom. Petition" shall appear the word "Electors".

(4) Immediately below the word "Electors" the names of the presidential electors nominated in support of the nominees for president and vice president of that party or political principal shall appear.

(5) On a voting machine, there shall be a button or candidate selection button with which to mark the ballot opposite each pair of names. On paper ballots, there shall be a single box within which to mark the ballot opposite each pair of names.

(6) In preparing the ballots, the secretary of state shall arrange the names of the candidates of recognized political parties alphabetically, according to the names of the parties, followed by the names of the candidates nominated by nominating petitions and by the filing of notices of candidacy, listed alphabetically by designation of political principal.

C. No candidate nominated other than by a recognized political party shall use the name of any recognized political party in the political or party designation of such candidate.

D. The ballot shall contain the following statement: "A vote for candidates for president and vice president is a vote for each of the electors supporting those candidates."

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 588, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1978, No. 292, §1, eff. July 6, 1978; Acts 1990, No. 107, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 2001, No. 1181, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2002; Acts 2003, No. 1220, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 526, §2, eff. June 25, 2004; Acts 2008, No. 136, §1, eff. June 6, 2008.