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Whenever it is determined that there is a need for a vote of the legislature under the provisions of this Chapter, and the legislature is not in session, the written consent of the elected members of each house of the legislature shall be obtained in the following manner:

(1)  The governor shall request the clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate to prepare and transmit a ballot to each member of the legislature by certified mail with return receipt requested.

(2)  The ballot shall be uniform and shall state as an affirmative proposition the specified questions to be posed to the legislature as requested by the governor.  The ballot shall state the factual basis for such proposition and such other pertinent information as the governor may determine.

(3)  Each ballot also shall contain the name of the member to whom it is to be mailed and the member shall sign the ballot after casting his vote.  Any unsigned ballot shall be invalid.

(4)  The ballots mailed to all members shall be postmarked on the same day and shall be returned to the clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate no later than five p.m. fifteen days after the postmarked date.

(5)  A ballot received by the clerk or the secretary after such deadline shall have the date and time received marked on each ballot and shall not be valid or counted.  Such a ballot shall be marked “Invalid”.  At any time prior to the deadline, a member may withdraw his ballot or change his vote upon his written request.

(6)  For the purposes of this Section, an electronically transmitted facsimile of a ballot transmitted through connection with a telephone network may be accepted as a ballot.  A ballot so transmitted shall be sealed immediately upon receipt and the date and time received marked on the sealed envelope. Its contents shall not be disclosed until the day when all ballots are opened and tabulated.

(7)  The clerk and the secretary shall hold such ballots unopened and shall not disclose the contents to any person until the day when such ballots are opened and tabulated.  No ballot shall be deemed invalid if inadvertently opened in processing or if received and sealed pursuant to Paragraph (6) of this Section.

(8)  On the sixteenth day after the date on which the ballots were mailed, the clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate shall open and tabulate the vote in roll call order for each house of the legislature.  The tabulation shall indicate by name those members who voted in favor of the proposition, those who voted against the proposition, those who did not vote on the proposition, those who did not return the ballot by the deadline, and those whose ballot was invalid because of not being signed by the member.

(9)  The clerk and the secretary shall sign the tabulation sheet or sheets and transmit a statement of the vote and the proposition to which it relates to the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the governor, and any other entity required by this Chapter to be so informed.

Acts 1997, No. 1149, §1, eff. June 1, 1997.