MONITORING AN ELECTION

Louisiana has a statewide voting system. AVC Advantage machines are used for Election Day voting, and ImageCast® X (or “ICX”) voting machines are used for early voting. All Election Day machines are tested by certified technicians of the secretary of state's office prior to every election in each parish and then the voting machines are sealed for use in the election by the parish board of election supervisors in each parish. Testing and sealing is open to the public in each voting machine warehouse in each parish. For information on the testing and sealing of voting machines prior to Election Day, please contact your parish clerk of court (for Orleans Parish candidates, you must contact the Clerk of Criminal District Court). All early voting machines are tested and sealed prior to every early voting period in each parish registrar of voters office. For information on the testing and sealing of voting machines prior to early voting, please contact your parish registrar of voters.

Poll Watchers

Louisiana law (La. R.S. 18:427 (A)) states that a qualified voter of the state who is not a candidate may serve as a watcher, however, no person who is required to register as a sex offender or child predator pursuant to La. R.S. 15:542 may serve as a watcher.

View and print a Poll Watchers Booklet to learn about the commissioning, qualifications, powers, and duties of watchers.

View and print a list of watchers form:
Early Voting Political Party Watchers List
Election Day Political Party Super Watchers List
Election Day Watchers List for Candidates and Propositions

Early Voting Political Party Poll Watchers

In accordance with Act 583 of the 2024 Regular Legislative Session, the parish executive committee of a recognized political party having at least twenty-five percent of the registered voters in the state registered as begin affiliated with the political party is entitled to have an early voting watchers at each early voting location in the parish, as space permits, at which a candidate affiliated with the political party is on the ballot.

Currently, only the Democratic and Republican parties may have early voting poll watchers.

A list of early voting watchers shall be filed with the registrar of voters by hand delivery, facsimile, mail, or commercial courier before 4:30 p.m. on the fourteenth business day before the first day of early voting for a primary or general election falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the list shall be filed on the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday.

The chairman of the parish executive committee shall sign and be responsible for filing the list of early voting watchers. The chairman of the state central committee may designate early voting watchers for the parish in any parish without a parish executive committee of the recognized political party in accordance with La. R.S. 18:1309(N)(9).

A list of early voting watchers submitted by a party for the primary election may be used for the general election only if the chairman of the parish executive committee or the state central committee of the party notifies the registrar of voters in writing by 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before the start of early voting for the general election that he wants to use the same list of early voting watchers.

Election Day Political Party Super Watchers

In accordance with Act 583 of the 2024 Regular Legislative Session, the parish executive committee of a recognized political party having at least twenty-five percent of the registered voters in the state registered as being affiliated with the political party is entitled to have political party super watchers in the parish if a candidate affiliated with the political party is on the ballot. See the Poll Watcher Booklet for more details on how many super watchers are allowed in a specific parish.

The chairman of the parish executive committee shall file one list of super watchers with the clerk of court (the Clerk of Criminal District Court in Orleans Parish) by hand delivery, facsimile, mail, or commercial courier before 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before the primary or general election. If the tenth business day before the primary or general election falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the list shall be filed on the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday.

The chairman of the parish executive committee of the political party shall sign and be responsible for filing the list of political party super watchers. The chairman of the state central committee of a recognized political party may designate super watchers for the parish in any parish without a parish executive committee of the recognized political party in accordance with La. R.S. 18:435(A)(4)(e).

A list of political party super watchers submitted by a party for the primary election may be used for the general election only if the chairman of the parish executive committee or state central committee of the party notifies the clerk of court in writing by 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before the general election that he wants to use the same list of political party super watchers.

Election Day Watchers for Candidates and Propositions

Louisiana law (La R.S. 18:427, La R.S. 18:435, La R.S. 18:1486) states that each candidate in an election is entitled to have one watcher at every precinct on election day where the office they seek is on the ballot in a primary or general election. Watchers are not allowed during early voting in the registrar of voters offices. In addition to watchers and alternate watchers per precinct, each candidate may designate one watcher as a super watcher who can be admitted in every precinct in the candidate's election at the same time as either the watcher or alternate watcher who is serving for the candidate. Any person who is supporting or opposing a proposition (including the recall of a public officer) and who has filed a report required by La R.S. 18:1486 (Campaign Finance Disclosure Act) is entitled to have one watcher at every precinct in which the proposition is on the ballot. Federal monitors and court-ordered monitors are subject to these guidelines.

The candidate shall file one list of watchers with the clerk of court (for Orleans Parish candidates, you must file with the Clerk of Criminal District Court), by hand delivery, facsimile, mail or commercial courier before 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before any primary or general election.  

A candidate’s list of watchers may be filed by the candidate’s authorized representative with a letter of authorization from the candidate; however, the list of watchers must be signed by the candidate. Any person filing a list of watchers for a proposition or recall election must attach a certified statement that the report required by La R.S. 18:1486 has been filed with the division of campaign finance.

If a candidate submits a list for a primary election and does not submit a new list for the general election, the list submitted for the primary election may be used for the general election only if the candidate notifies the clerk of court in writing by 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day before the general election that they want to use the same list of watchers. A list of watchers shall contain only one watcher and one alternate watcher for each precinct where the candidate is entitled to have a watcher. In addition to watchers and alternate watchers per precinct, each candidate may designate one watcher as a super watcher for each parish they are on the ballot.

The list shall be submitted on a form provided by the secretary of state which is available from the clerk of court or on our website, or typed or legibly written on a form which contains the same information. The list shall contain the name and mailing address of each watcher and alternate watcher, and a designation of the precinct where they are to serve.

Presidential Election Watchers

The state central committee of each recognized political party is responsible for filing the watcher list for its slate of candidates for presidential elector. The list of watchers must be signed by the chairman of the state central committee. The list of watchers for an independent or other party slate of candidates for presidential elector shall be signed and filed by any person so authorized by the presidential candidate supported by the slate of electors. A letter of authorization from the presidential candidate, or an authorized agent of their campaign, shall accompany the list.

It is not necessary to submit the certified statement that the report has been filed with the division of campaign finance.