Declaring Candidacy for Elected Office
***Candidates for the Saturday, March 29, 2025 elections for Justice of the Peace and Constable, Ward 6 (special election) & Constable, Ward 5 (special election) will declare themselves qualified for office by filing Notices of Candidacy with the clerk of court.***
WHEN: Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - Friday, January 31, 2025, 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. [dates & time set by statute]
WHERE: Clerk of Court's Office - Plaquemines Parish Courthouse, 18055 Hwy. 15, Pointe-a-la-Hache, and Plaquemines Parish Government Annex, 301 Main St. Ste. 108, Belle Chasse.
FEES: The fee shall be paid in cash or by certified or cashier's check on a state or national bank or credit union, United States postal money order, or money order issued by a state or national bank or credit union [La R.S. 18:464(A)]. Fees are set forth in La. R.S. 18:464.
Justice of the Peace & Constable Positions: Democrat: $140.50; Republican: $112.50; No or Other Party: $75.00
***Fees above include fees assessed by the Louisiana Democratic and Republican State Central Committees and the Plaquemines Parish Democratic Parish Executive Committee [La. R.S. 18:464(C) & (D)].***
NAME ON BALLOT: The candidate shall designate in the notice the form in which his name shall be printed on the ballot. The candidate may designate his given, first, and middle name, the initials of his given, first, and middle name, a nickname, or any combination thereof as the form in which his name shall be printed on the ballot, but he shall not designate a title, designation, or deceptive name, nor shall he designate an occupational or professional description or abbreviation. If the candidate designates a nickname in place of or in combination with his given name or the initials thereof, the nickname shall be set off with quotation marks and shall be placed immediately preceding his surname. A candidate shall include his surname in his designation of the form in which his name shall be printed on the ballot [La. R.S. 13:863].
NOTE ABOUT QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates for local offices "qualify" with the clerk of court for local elections, meaning they file a Notice of Candidacy and submit the appropriate fee (see link to schedule below) or Nominating Petition pursuant to the regulations outlined in La. R.S. 18:463. The clerk of court utilizes the secretary of state's Elections and Registration Information Network (ERIN) software to register the candidacy. Individuals declaring candidacy for regional or statewide offices file with the Louisiana Secretary of State in Baton Rouge.
Under Louisiana law, an individual filing a Notice of Candidacy declares himself qualified and is presumed to be qualified until disqualified by the appropriate court of law when duly challenged. An individual filing a Notice of Candidacy should carefully read the form to ensure that he/she may attest to all requirements and statements. Candidates also must present photo ID at the time they submit their Notice of Candidacy.
La. R.S. 18:470 states, in pertinent part: "The acceptance of a notice of candidacy that meets the requirements of R.S. 18:463 by the secretary of state or the clerk of court is mandatory and ministerial and the secretary of state or the clerk of court shall not have discretion to verify the qualifications of a potential candidate (emphasis added)."
Neither the clerk of court nor the secretary of state attest to or confirm a candidate's qualifications, and neither official may reject a Notice of Candidacy based on candidate qualifications. To object to, or otherwise challenge, an individual's candidacy, a qualified voter must file suit in the appropriate court (La. R.S. 18:1401).
The Notice of Candidacy filing period lasts 3 days generally 8-12 weeks prior to an election.
To see who has qualified for elected office, follow this link to the Secretary of State’s web site and click on “Races in a Parish,” then select “Plaquemines.”