OBTAIN PUBLICATIONS
Elections Services is responsible for the majority of publishing by the Secretary of State's Office, ranging from the Acts of the Legislature to the Report of the Secretary of State. Elections Services also manages the Official Parish Journal list, the Proces Verbaux program, the Bond Registration program, the Living Will Declaration Registry and Will Registry programs.
To obtain any of the following publications, please contact Elections Services by telephone at 225.922.0900; fax at 225.922.0197; or U.S. mail at Secretary of State, 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809. A fee schedule is provided for your reference.
The following list of publications are either mandated by the Louisiana Revised Statutes or published by the Secretary of State's office for convenience and ease of use:
Code of Governmental Ethics (La. R.S. 42:1101-1170)
The Code of Governmental Ethics is mandated by the Louisiana Constitution, Article X, Section 21 for all elected officials and employees of the State of Louisiana and its political subdivisions. The secretary of state is required by La. R.S. 42:1162 to provide a copy to every public servant who receives a commission. This book contains Chapter 15 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes and details the powers, duties and responsibilities of elected officials and employees of the state as outlined in the Louisiana Ethics Administration Program.
Election Returns (La. R.S. 18:574)
Election returns contain precinct-by-precinct returns for all presidential and gubernatorial elections. It also contains a parish-by-parish recapitulation of the returns for each election, as promulgated by the Secretary of State's Office in the official state journal. These books are a valuable reference for scholars, political analysts, journalists and historians.
Buckram Bound Acts of the Legislature (La. R.S. 43:19)
The Acts of the Legislature are published annually and include all acts passed in the regular and/or extraordinary sessions, as indicated. The Acts of the Legislature are printed and bound into one or more volumes and may also include acts of previous extraordinary sessions of the Legislature. The acts are first promulgated in the official state journal per the Louisiana Constitution, Article III, Section 19 and La. R.S. 43:31. The Bound Acts are usually available for purchase between eight to nine months after final adjournment and include the constitutional amendments (if any), the tables and index.
The following list of publications are either printed annually, biennially or at the discretion of the secretary of state:
Calendars and Journals
The Calendars and Journals are three separate books which explain each year's events of Louisiana's legislative sessions. The Calendars trace each bill and resolution of the House and Senate numerically through the Legislature from the introduction and readings to the final voting and passing of each item.
The Journal records exactly what takes place in the House and Senate beginning each day with roll call and the marking of those present or absent, prayer, etc. and continuing numerically through every bill, resolution and concurrent resolution and finally the call for adjournment at the end of each day.
There is usually one calendar for the House and Senate and two journals: one for the proceedings of the House and one for the proceedings of the Senate. Calendars and Journals are published four to six months after each session. The compilation and printing is handled by the speaker of the House. Information can be obtained by contacting the clerk of the House at 225.342.7259.
Election Code (La. R.S. 18)
The Election Code includes Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes pertaining to the laws governing all aspects of elections. Effective March 29, 2000, the Louisiana Revised Statutes can be viewed online.
Lawrason Act (La. R.S. 33:1-21 and 33:321-481)
La. R.S. 33:1-21 and 33:321-481, commonly known as the Lawrason Act, are the laws governing the operation of the incorporated municipalities in Louisiana. It explains how a municipality is considered a city, town or village and entails the qualifications, duties, powers and functions of each officer (mayor, board of aldermen or councilmember, clerk, treasurer, marshal and mayor's court) and their selection by either election or appointment. It also details the levying and collection of taxes and expenditure of funds for the municipalities.
Report of the Secretary of State
This book is a report from the secretary of state to the governor of Louisiana which includes an itemized list of fees collected by each division of the Secretary of State's Office; the number of registered voters as reported by the registrars of voters of each parish; a chart showing the election districts contained in each parish in Louisiana; and a complete recapitulation of the results of the major elections held during each two-year period. It is used as a reference and research tool by political analysts, colleges and universities, U.S. governmental offices and other research-oriented organizations.
Roster of Officials
The Roster of Officials contains information about every elected official in Louisiana and includes photographs and biographies of statewide elected officials, U.S. senators and representatives and the members of the Louisiana Legislature. This book has sections on parish and municipal officials as well as the governor-appointed boards and commissions. Also included is information about election districts; the duties, qualifications and terms of elected officials; population figures; district maps; functions of the Secretary of State's Office; and facts about Louisiana.
Bills to Acts
The information in the Bills to Acts is the official record going back to 1998 showing the list of bills which have been approved by the governor, received in this office and assigned act numbers. These documents contain a complete list of all legislative acts for each session, sorted by act number.