Case Name: Devon A. KELLY, Jr. v. VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD et al.
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1978-09-05
Citations: 363 So. 2d 887
Docket Number: No. 61649
Parties: Devon A. KELLY, Jr. v. VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD et al.
Judges: TATE, J., concurs and will assign reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 363
Pages: 887–892

Head Matter:
Devon A. KELLY, Jr. v. VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD et al.
No. 61649.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Sept. 5, 1978.
James E. Bookter, Bossier City, for defendant-applicant.
David B. Clinkenbeard, Naff, Kennedy, Goodman, Stephens, Donovan & Parnell, Shreveport, for plaintiffs-respondents.

Opinion:
MARCUS, Justice.
Devon A. Kelly, Jr., holder of a retail beer permit and operator of a lounge in Greenwood, Louisiana, instituted this action against the Village of Greenwood, its mayor and aldermen, seeking a judgment declaring void a local option election held on January 3, 1978.
The local option election had been called pursuant to the local option law. La.R.S. 26:581, et seq. A verified voter petition was filed with the Greenwood governing authority on October 11,1977. A resolution of the governing authority ordering the election for January 3,1978, was adopted at a regular meeting held on November 8, 1977. There was no opposition to the date of the election by way of protest, petition for injunction or other court action. The election was held as scheduled, resulting in a vote of approximately two-to-one against each of the four propositions placed on the ballot. Greenwood was voted dry.
Plaintiff's suit was brought under the new election code. As a holder of a retail beer permit and operator of a lounge in Greenwood, plaintiff was clearly a "person in interest." Suit was timely instituted against the proper party defendants. Plaintiff alleged in his petition that the election was not held on a date authorized by the election code and that, except for this irregularity in the conduct of the election, the result would have been different. Basically, defendants' position was that the new election code did not apply to a local option election called prior to its effective date. Rather, the instant local option election was governed by La.R.S. 26:581, et seq., with which there was substantial compliance. Finding that plaintiff presented no evidence that the result of the election would have been different had the election been held on an authorized date, the district judge rendered judgment in favor of defendants, dismissing plaintiff's suit at his cost. Plaintiff appealed.
The court of appeal reversed the judgment of the district court finding that the new election code repealed only those sections of the local option election law where in conflict. Therefore, since the verified petition was filed with the Greenwood governing authority on October 11, 1977, the governing authority could have adopted an ordinance or resolution at a regular meeting as late as November 24,1977, fixing the date of the election for Saturday, January 21, 1978. This would have complied with La.R.S. 26:586 and La.R.S. 18:402F. Moreover, the Greenwood governing authority had sufficient notice before January 1, 1978, to comply with the requirement of the election code if any part of the election process were to occur on or after January 1, 1978. Therefore, since the local option election was held on January 3, 1978, and not on Saturday, January 21, 1978, as authorized by La.R.S. 18:402F, the election was void and of no effect. Upon defendants' application, we granted certiorari to review the correctness of this decision.
First, we agree with the court of appeal that the new election code repealed the local option election law only where in conflict and that the Greenwood governing authority erred in not fixing the date for the election for Saturday, January 21,1978, in compliance with La.R.S. 18:402F. Having reached this conclusion, we are faced with the issue of whether the mere failure to hold the local option election on a date authorized by La.R.S. 18:402F constitutes a cause to declare the election void. We think not.
La.R.S. 18:14010 provides:
A person in interest may bring an action contesting any election in which any proposition is submitted to the voters if he alleges that except for irregularities or fraud in the conduct of an election the result would have been different.
In order to successfully contest an election, the challenger must not only allege that, except for irregularities or fraud in the conduct of the election, the result would have been different, but must prove that the alleged irregularity or fraud resulted in one or more of the causes for declaring an election void under La.R.S. 18:1432, which provides:
The final judgment in an election contest shall declare the election void if: (1) it is impossible to determine the result of election, or (2) the number of qualified voters who were denied the right to vote by the election officials was sufficient to change the result in the election, if they had been allowed to vote, or (3) the number of unqualified voters who were allowed to vote by the election officials was sufficient to change the result of the election if they had not been allowed to vote, or (4) a combination of the factors referred to in (2) and (3) herein would have been sufficient to change the result had they not occurred.
See Charbonnet v. Braden, 358 So.2d 360 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1978), writ denied, 357 So.2d 560 (La.1978). This statutory scheme is in accord with pre-election-code jurisprudence on the issue. See Moreau v. Tonry, 339 So.2d 3 (La.1976), appeal dismissed, 430 U.S. 925, 97 S.Ct. 1541, 51 L.Ed.2d 769 (1977); Garrison v. Connick, 291 So.2d 778 (La.1974); Dowling v. Orleans Parish Democratic Comm., 235 La. 62, 102 So.2d 755 (1958); Lewis v. Democratic Executive Comm., 232 La. 732, 95 So.2d 292 (1957); Felder v. Police Jury of Livingston Parish, 207 La. 550, 21 So.2d 724 (1945); Landry v. Ozenne, 194 La. 853, 195 So. 14 (1940); Lafargue v. Galloway, 184 La. 707, 167 So. 197 (1936); Womack v. Nettles, 155 La. 359, 99 So. 290 (1924).
In the instant case, plaintiff does not contend, nor do we find, that it is impossible to determine the result of the election, the first cause for declaring an election void under La.R.S. 18:1432. Nor do we find that plaintiff has shown the existence of the second, third or fourth cause for declaring an election void under that statute. As the district judge correctly noted in his reasons for judgment, plaintiff presented no evidence to show that the result of the election would have been different had the election been held on a date authorized by La.R.S. 18:402F. We do not consider that the irregularity is of such a serious nature as to deprive the voters of the free expression of their will. Accordingly, we conclude that the court of appeal erred in declaring the local option election void and of no effect.
DECREE
For the reasons assigned, the judgment of the court of appeal is reversed and the judgment of the district court, rejecting plaintiff's demands, is reinstated. All costs of these proceedings are assessed against plaintiff.
TATE, J., concurs and will assign reasons.
DIXON, J., dissents with reasons.
CALOGERO, J., dissents for reasons assigned by DIXON, J.
. The legislature enacted an election code which became effective on January 1, 1978. La.R.S. 18:1, et seq.
. La.R.S. 18:14010 provides in pertinent part:
A person in interest may bring an action contesting any election in which any proposition is submitted to the voters
. La.R.S. 18:1405D states:
An action contesting an election submitting a proposition to the voters, except a constitutional amendment or a proposition covered by Subsection E of this Section, shall be instituted within thirty days after the official promulgation of the results of the election.
. La.R.S. 18:1402 provides in pertinent part:
The following persons are the proper parties against whom actions may be instituted in actions objecting to candidacy and in election contests: . (3) the governing authority who called an election submitting a proposition to the voters, other than a proposed amendment to the constitution.
. La.R.S. 26:586 provides in pertinent part:
The governing authority with whom the petition is filed by the Registrar of Voters shall attach to the petition its sworn verification showing the day, month and year the petition was filed with it.
If the petition conforms to all the provisions of this Chapter, the governing authority shall order the election. The ordinance or resolution of the governing authority ordering the election- shall be adopted at a regular meeting held not less than thirty nor more than forty-five days from the date the petition was filed with the governing authority by the Registrar of Voters.
The date fixed for the election shall be not less than forty-five nor more than sixty days from the date of the adoption of the ordinance or resolution ordering the election.
.La.R.S. 18:402F provides:
Bond, tax or other elections. Every bond, tax, or other election at which a proposition or question is to be submitted to the voters shall be held only on one of the following dates:
(1) The last Saturday in October or the sixth Saturday after the last Saturday in October of 1979 and every fourth year thereafter;
(2) The third Saturday in September or the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years;
(3) The first Saturday in April or the sixth Saturday after the first Saturday in April of any year;
(4) The third Saturday in October or the sixth Saturday after the third Saturday in October of 1981 and every fourth year thereafter;
(5) The third Saturday in January or any year, which, in addition to the other dates as provided for in this Subsection, shall be exclusively for elections on bonds, taxes, and other propositions or questions and for no other kind of election; or
(6) In case of an emergency, upon application to and approval by the State Bond Commission, the governing authority of a parish, of a municipality, or of a parish or city school board may conduct a bond or tax election on a Saturday which is not provided for in this Subsection.
.The election code, as originally enacted in 1976 and supplemented in 1977, provides:
Section 4. The provisions of this code shall become effective on January 1, 1978; however, all election officials and public employees who under the constitution and the provisions of this code are charged with administering the election laws or performing any duties or functions relating thereto shall, on and after this Act is finally enacted into law, take such immediate action as is necessary in order that the provisions of this code shall become fully operative on and after the effective date hereinabove fixed. Section 4, Act 697 of 1976.
. 357 So.2d 1182 (La.App.2d Cir. 1978).
. 358 So.2d 949 (La.1978).