Recall an Elected Official

A petition for recall is limited to the request that an election be called and held in the voting area for the purpose of recalling a public officer. Any public officer, except judges, may be recalled; however, no recall petition may be submitted for certification to or accepted for certification by the registrar of voters or any other official if less than six months remain in the term of office. (La. R.S. 18:1300.1)

General Information on Recalls

All recall petitions for local elected officials shall be on a local recall petition form or on a form which contains the same information and directed to the governor. All recall petitions for a statewide elected official shall be on a statewide official recall petition form or on a form which contains the same information and directed to the governor. Any petition not on such a form shall be invalid. In accordance with Act 257 of the 2018 Regular Session, the recall petition shall contain a clear statement of the reason or reasons for the recall. When the recall involves the governor, the secretary of state acts in all matters where it is the duty of the governor to act. When the recall involves the secretary of state, the governor acts in all matters where it is the duty of the secretary of state to act. A copy of the signed recall petition must be filed by the chairman of the recall committee with Secretary of State's Office along with copies of a picture identification that contain the name and signature of the chairman and vice chairman, respectively, or copies of current utility bills, bank statements, government checks, paychecks or other government documents that show the name and address of the chairman and vice chairman, respectively prior to entering any signatures. Once the first signature is obtained, the recall petition becomes a public record with the chairman or vice chairman, when acting as the chairman, as custodian. After the petition is submitted to the registrar of voters for certification, the chairman or vice chairman, when acting as the chairman, shall no longer be the custodian. See La. R.S. 18:1300.2 and La. R.S. 18:1300.5 for more information.

All signatures on recall petitions must be handwritten. The petition shall be signed by 40 percent of the qualified electors within the voting area where less than 1,000 qualified electors reside in the voting area; 33 and 1/3 percent of the qualified electors of the voting area where 1,000 to 24,999 qualified electors reside in the voting area; 25 percent of the qualified electors of the voting area where 25,000 to 99,999 qualified electors reside in the voting area; or 20 percent of the qualified electors of the voting area where 100,000 or more qualified electors reside in the voting area. Contact the Registrar of Voters Office for the total number of eligible voters of the voting area for all elected official recalls. Contact the secretary of state for the total number of eligible voters of the state for all statewide elected official recalls. See La. R.S. 18:1300.2(B) for more information.

The registrar of voters shall honor the written request of any voter who either desires to have their handwritten signature stricken from the petition or desires to have their handwritten signature added to the petition at any time after receipt of the signed petition as provided in La. R.S. 18:1300.2(C), but prior to certification of the petition or within five days after receipt of such signed petition, whichever is earlier. See La. R.S. 18:1300.3(B)(1) for more information.

The completed petition is submitted to the Registrar(s) of Voters Office for certification no later than 180 days after being filed with Secretary of State's Office. An exception to this is if there are less than 1,000 qualified electors in the voting area. The petition must be submitted no later than 90 days after being filed with Secretary of State's Office. If the final day for submitting the petition falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the deadline will be on the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. See La. R.S. 18:1300.2(C)(2) for more information.

The registrar of voters certifies the recall petition within 15 working days after it is presented to them, or within 20 working days after it is presented to them if any parish wholly or partially within the voting area contains more than 50,000 registered voters. See La. R.S. 18:1300.3(A) for more information.

The petition is then forwarded to the governor. The governor issues an election proclamation within 15 days after they receive the certified petition from the Registrar of Voters Office, if the required number of qualified electors of the voting area signed the recall petition. See La R.S. 18:1300.7(A) for more information.

For a primary election date, the proclamation will be issued on or before the last day for candidates to qualify in the election (last day of qualifying). For a general election date, the proclamation will be issued on or before the 46th day prior to the election (same as propositions). In all cases where the governor is the subject of the recall petition, the secretary of state shall issue the proclamation and act in all matters where it is made the duty of the governor to act. If the secretary of state is the subject of the recall petition, the governor shall act instead of the secretary of state. See La. R.S. 18:1300.7 and La. R.S. 18:1300.15 for more information.

Immediately after the issuance of the proclamation, the governor publishes the proclamation in the official journal of each parish where the recall election is to be held. Within 24 hours after issuing the proclamation, the governor sends a copy of the petition and proclamation, by registered or certified mail, to the clerk of the district court for each parish in which the recall election will be held. A copy of the petition and proclamation will also be sent to the secretary of state. Within 24 hours after receiving the copies, the Secretary of State's Office notifies all other election officials in the parish(es) where the recall election is to be held. See La. R.S. 18:1300.7 for more information.

If the recall passes, the public officer is recalled and the office is vacated upon the expiration of the time period for contesting the recall election (4:30 p.m. on the ninth day after the date of the election) or if a contest is filed timely, upon the final judgment becoming definitive. The office will be filled as in the case of ordinary vacancies and according to the constitution and laws of the state. The recalled official cannot be appointed or be a candidate in the special election to fill the vacancy. In addition, if the recalled official is a member of a governing authority of a municipality governed by the Lawrason Act (Part I of Chapter 2 of Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes), they cannot be a candidate to fill any vacancy for the governing authority prior to the next regulary scheduled election. See La. R.S. 18:1300.13 for more information.

If the recall fails, no recall election for the same official shall be held within 18 months from the date of the failed recall election. See La. R.S. 18:1300.14 for more information.

If the officer subject to the recall election resigns prior to the first day of early voting and the recall election is the only issue on the ballot, early voting and the recall election is not held. If the recall election is not the only issue on the ballot and the early voting ballot has been prepared, the Registrar of Voters Office shall post a notice of the resignation at each early voting location where the recall is on the ballot. If the Election Day ballot has been printed, the Clerk of Court's Office shall post notice of the resignation at each polling place where the recall is on the ballot. Any votes cast in the recall election shall be null and void and shall not be counted for any purpose whatsoever. See La. R.S. 18:1300.7 for more information.

Recall History

Recalls 1966-2013
Recalls 2014-Present