Was Louisiana's election expense manual for registrars of voters approved by the Attorney General?

Plain-English summary

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry submitted the Election Expense Manual used by registrars of voters for Attorney General review. The office found the submitted manual compliant with Louisiana law and approved it for printing and distribution. The opinion identified no correction before approval.

The opinion quotes Louisiana Administrative Code 31:701(F), which requires Attorney General approval of the manual and any updates. It does not include the manual or describe which expenses it allows.

What this means for you

Registrars of voters

The opinion confirms that the version of the registrar expense manual submitted to the Attorney General was approved for printing and distribution. It is a record of approval, not a substitute for the manual itself.

Election administrators

The cited administrative rule requires updates to the manual to receive Attorney General approval as well. The opinion gives no substantive guidance on particular expense claims.

Common questions

Q: Did the AG require changes to the registrars' expense manual?
A: The opinion identified none. It found the submitted manual compliant and approved it.

Q: Does this opinion tell a registrar which expenses are reimbursable?
A: No. It records approval of the manual but does not reproduce its rules.

Background and statutory framework

Louisiana Administrative Code 31:701(F), quoted in a footnote, calls for the Election Expense Manual and updates to be submitted to the Attorney General. The opinion reports the office's compliance review and approval of the registrar version.

Citations and references

• Louisiana Administrative Code 31:701(F), the approval provision quoted in the opinion.

Source

• Landing page: https://www.ag.state.la.us/Opinions
• Original PDF: https://www.ag.state.la.us/Opinion/Download/24-0129

Original opinion text

_____

STATE OF LOuIsIANA
DERRTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICE OF THE Arr0RNEY GENERAL
P.O. Box 94005
BATON ROUGE, LA
70804-9005

Liz MuRRILL
ATTORNEY GENERkL
September 25, 2024
OPINION 24-0129

23 ELECTIONS
Honorable Nancy Landry
Louisiana Administrative Code 31:701
Secretary of State
The Election Expense Manual used by the Registrar of Voters State of Louisiana is compliant with Louisiana law and is approved for printing
P.O. Box 94125
and distribution.
Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Dear Secretary Landry:

We received your request for review and approval from our office of the Expense Manual used by Registrars of Voters.

The Attorney General’s approval of this manual is required by Louisiana Administrative Code 31 :701(F).1 We have reviewed the document, and it is the opinion of this office that the manual is compliant with Louisiana law.

We hope that this opinion has adequately addressed the legal issues you have raised. If our office can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With best regards,

LIZ MURRILL
ATTORNEY GENERAL

BY:

Assistant Attorney General

LM: HNF

1 This provision states, “The Election Expense Manual shall be submitted to the state attorney generals office for approval. Any updates to the manual shall also receive approval by the state attorney general’s office.”