§ 18:532 — Establishment of precincts

§532. Establishment of precincts
A. Subject to the provisions of R.S. 18:532.1, the governing authority of each parish
shall establish precincts, define the territorial limits for which each precinct is established,
prescribe their boundaries, and designate the precincts. The governing authority of each
parish shall by ordinance adopt the establishment and boundaries of each precinct in
accordance with the timetable as set forth in this Section and in accordance with R.S.
18:532.1.
B.(1)(a) Each precinct shall be a contiguous, compact area having clearly defined and
clearly observable boundaries coinciding with visible features readily distinguishable on the
ground and approved extensions of such features, such as designated highways, roads,
streets, rivers, or canals, and depicted on United States Bureau of the Census base maps for
the next federal decennial census, except where the precinct boundary is coterminous with
the boundary of a parish or an incorporated place when the boundaries of a single precinct
contain the entire geographic area of the incorporated place. Except as otherwise provided
in this Paragraph, on and after July 1, 1997, any precinct boundary which does not coincide
with a visible feature shall be changed by the parish governing authority to coincide with a
visible feature in accordance with R.S. 18:532.1.
(b) For the purposes of this Paragraph, the term "approved extension" shall mean an
extension of one visible feature to another visible feature which has been approved by the
secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House of Representatives or their designees and
which is or which will be a census tabulation boundary.
(2) No precinct shall be wholly contained within the territorial boundaries of another
precinct, except that a precinct which contains the entire geographical area of an incorporated
place and in which the total number of registered voters at the last general election was less
than three hundred may be so contained.
(3) No precinct shall contain more than two thousand two hundred registered voters
within its geographic boundaries. Within thirty days after the completion of each canvass,
the registrar of voters of each parish shall notify the parish governing authority of every
precinct in the parish which contains more than two thousand two hundred registered voters
within its geographic boundaries. Within sixty days of such notification, the parish
governing authority shall divide such precincts by a visible feature in accordance with R.S.
18:532.1.
(4)(a) No precinct shall contain less than three hundred registered voters within its
geographical boundaries, except:
(i) When necessary to make it more convenient for voters in a geographically
isolated and unincorporated area to vote. A voter in a geographically isolated and
unincorporated area shall mean a voter whose residence is outside an incorporated place and
who would have to travel by roadway more than ten miles or cross a public ferry to a polling
place to vote if the precinct were not established.
(ii) When the precinct contains the entire geographical area of an incorporated place.
(iii) When the precinct may not be merged with any adjacent precinct due to voting
district boundaries, provided that such a precinct has a consolidated polling place with an
adjacent precinct and the number of commissioners for the polling place has been reduced
in accordance with R.S. 18:425.1 and 1286.1.
(b)(i) No precinct shall be established as authorized in this Paragraph unless it is in
compliance with the provisions of R.S. 18:532.1(C) and unless the parish governing authority
has submitted documentation to the Department of State that the precinct meets one of the
criteria in this Paragraph and the parish governing authority has received written approval
for the establishment of the precinct from the secretary of state. However, a precinct may
contain less than three hundred registered voters if the parish governing authority is
responsible for all election expenses incurred in the precinct as provided in R.S. 18:1400.7.
(ii) In addition to the authority in Item (i) of this Subparagraph, the secretary of state
may permit the establishment of precincts with less than three hundred registered voters
under extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances.
(c) Within thirty days after the completion of each canvass, beginning with the 1996
canvass, the registrar of voters of each parish shall notify the parish governing authority of
every precinct in the parish which contains fewer than three hundred registered voters within
its geographic boundaries. Within sixty days after such notification, the parish governing
authority shall merge such precincts with other precincts, unless the approval of the
Department of State has been granted as provided in this Paragraph.
(5) The provisions of Paragraph (4) of this Subsection shall not be effective during
the period of time established by R.S. 18:532.1(D).
C. Each parish governing authority shall provide and maintain at all times geospacial
shape files, if available, and a suitable printed map showing the current geographical
boundaries with designation of precincts, and a correct, written legal description of the
precinct geographical boundaries. Each parish governing authority shall send a copy of each
map, with description attached, to the registrar of voters and the secretary of state. The map
may be composed of one or more sheets but each sheet shall not exceed three feet by four
feet. The map shall include all existing roads, streets, railroad tracks, and drainage features
but shall not include underground utility lines, land use and zoning symbols or shadings,
symbols for vegetation cover, topographic contour lines, and similar items that obscure the
basic street pattern and names. All features, names, titles, and symbols on the map shall be
clearly shown and legible. The map sheet of the entire parish shall be on a scale of one inch
equals one mile to one inch equals two miles. Map sheets of each incorporated place within
the parish shall be on a scale of one inch equals eight hundred feet to one inch equals sixteen
hundred feet. Each map sheet shall indicate the date of the base map or the date of last
revision. Wherever the boundaries of a precinct or incorporated place are coterminous, they
shall be clearly indicated as such.
D. The parish governing authority shall also furnish to the registrar of voters and
secretary of state geospacial shape files, if available, and a printed map clearly indicating the
boundaries of each parish governing authority district, school board district, special election
district, representative district, and senate district, and a correct, written legal description of
the boundaries.
E.(1) In complying with the provisions of this Section for the establishment of
precincts and the prescription of their boundaries, each parish governing authority and
registrar of voters shall coordinate with the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House
of Representatives, or their designees, pursuant to their authority to submit a plan for census
data for reapportionment under the provisions of Chapter 13 of this Title and shall adopt or
adjust precinct boundaries as may be necessary to comply with this Section.
(2) The proposed precinct boundaries submitted to the United States Bureau of the
Census by a parish through the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House of
Representatives or their designees, and approved by the Bureau of the Census as block
boundaries for each federal decennial census, shall be the precinct boundaries for the parish
for reapportionment purposes following each federal decennial census.
F. Prior to the adoption of an ordinance to establish the boundaries of precincts
pursuant to this Section, the parish governing authority shall submit the proposed precincts
and boundaries to the clerk of court and registrar of voters to confirm the ability to conduct
an election utilizing the proposed boundaries.

Legislative History

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 523, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1978; Acts 1978, No. 298, §1, eff. July 10, 1978; Acts 1982, No. 559, §1, eff. July 22, 1982; Acts 1985, No. 670, §1, eff. July 16, 1985; Acts 1986, No. 286, §1, eff. June 30, 1986; Acts 1988, No. 329, §1; Acts 1988, No. 403, §1, eff. July 10, 1988; Acts 1990, No. 629, §1; Acts 1992, No. 788, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1993; Acts 1992, No. 803, §1; Acts 1995, No. 552, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Acts 1997, No. 1420, §2, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 254, §2, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 451, §6, eff. Jan. 12, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 526, §2, eff. June 25, 2004; Acts 2008, No. 136, §1, eff. June 6, 2008; Acts 2018, No. 550, §1; Acts 2019, No. 374, §1, eff. June 19, 2019; Acts 2020, No. 28, §1, eff. June 4, 2020; Acts 2025, No. 199, §1.