PART III. PREPARATION, DELIVERY, AND USE OF

VOTING MACHINES

§1371. Delivery and return of machines and supplies; contract; time of delivery

            A.(1)(a) The secretary of state shall contract for the delivery to the voting precincts of the election day machines and other election equipment and supplies for which he is responsible and for their return to the storage warehouses. The specifications for the contract shall be prepared by the secretary of state after consultation with and approval by the parish custodian of the parish in which the contract is to be performed. The contract shall be advertised and let in accordance with the Louisiana Procurement Code. The governing authority of the parish or municipality in which the voting machines are to be used may submit bids and be awarded contracts for the drayage of the voting machines.

            (b) The secretary of state may contract for delivery the week prior to the beginning of early voting until no later than 11:59 p.m. on the day before early voting begins for an election, in the parishes that have three or more early voting locations, of the voting machines and other election equipment and supplies for which he is responsible and for their return to the offices of the registrars of voters or the location designated by the registrar of voters within twenty-four hours of the end of early voting. The specifications for the contract shall be prepared by the secretary of state after consultation with and approval by the registrar of voters of the parish in which the contract is to be performed. The contract shall be advertised and let in accordance with the Louisiana Procurement Code. The governing authority of the parish or municipality in which the voting machines are to be used may submit bids and be awarded contracts for the drayage of the early voting machines.

            (2) In addition to all other notices and advertisements for bids required, the secretary of state shall furnish notice of the invitation for bids at least thirty days prior to the opening of bids for each contract for the delivery of machines to the early voting locations or voting precincts for a parish in the following manner:

            (a) Publish notice of the invitation for bids in a newspaper of general circulation printed in such parish or, if there is no newspaper printed in such parish, in a newspaper printed in the nearest parish that has a general circulation in the parish covered by the contract.

            (b) Send such notice to the clerk of court for such parish who shall prominently post such notice in his office.

            (c) Repealed by Acts 2025, No. 386, §6.

            (3) Contracts for the delivery of voting machines to the early voting locations or voting precincts in a parish may be entered into on a parish or regional basis. If a single contract provides for the delivery of voting machines to the early voting locations or voting precincts in more than one parish then the notices required by this Subsection shall be provided in each parish covered by such contract in accordance with this Subsection.

            B.(1) No later than 11:59 p.m. on the day before an election, the contractor, under the supervision of the parish custodian or his representative, shall deliver the proper number of voting machines, a seal for sealing each voting machine after termination of voting, and other election equipment, supplies, and paraphernalia to the polling places of each precinct and shall place the machines in the polling place for use in voting. Each machine shall remain sealed until examined by or under the supervision of the commissioner-in-charge immediately before the polls are opened as required by R.S. 18:553.

            (2) No later than 11:59 p.m. on the day before early voting begins for an election, the contractor, under the supervision of the parish registrar of voters or his representative, shall deliver the proper number of early voting machines and other election equipment, supplies, and paraphernalia to the early voting locations and shall place the machines in the early voting location for use in early voting. Each early voting machine shall remain sealed until examined by or under the supervision of the registrar or his deputy immediately before the early voting locations are opened.

            Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1985, No. 754, §1; Acts 1997, No. 873, §1; Acts 2001, No. 451, §6, eff. Jan. 12, 2004; Acts 2007, No. 240, §1; Acts 2022, No. 274, §2; Acts 2025, No. 386, §6.