House Bill No. by Representative Thomas amends and reenacts R.S. 18:532.1(C)(4) and enacts new provisions under R.S. 18:532(F), 532.1(C)(5), and 1922.2. The bill establishes a requirement for parish governing authorities to submit proposed precinct boundaries to the clerk of court and registrar of voters for confirmation of election conductability before adopting any ordinance to establish or change precinct boundaries. Additionally, it mandates that if a precinct change involves dividing a precinct, the proposed changes must also be submitted for review. A new provision specifies that no precinct boundary change will take effect unless the necessary information is received by the secretary of state at least four weeks before the qualifying period opens.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a process for local governing bodies to submit redistricting or reapportionment plans to the parish registrar of voters and clerk of court for review prior to adoption. If a demographer is involved in creating the plan, they must be available for consultation during the review process. The registrar of voters is tasked with ensuring that the proposed plan accurately assigns geography without omissions or duplications and confirms the ability to conduct elections based on the proposed plan. The bill emphasizes the importance of utilizing current precincts and provides specific requirements for electronic submission of redistricting plans.

Statutes affected:
HB482 Original: 18:1(C)(4)
HB482 Engrossed: 18:1(C)(4)
HB482 Enrolled: 18:1(C)(4)
HB482 Act : 18:1(C)(4)