LaToya Cantrell recall organizers handed over 32,000 signatures to Times-Picayune, analysis shows

Other issues could further complicate the recall. Dozens of pages lacked information on which official the petition was targeting, something specifically required to be included under state law.

Balls and strikes

If the organizers did surpass their minimum threshold of 45,000, Wilson’s decisions about which signatures to count could prove pivotal.

State law lays out the boxes that voters must fill out, including their year of birth, ward and precinct, in order for their signatures to count. State courts have said that election officials must “strictly construe” the rules, according to guidance from the state attorney general’s office to registrars.

The second batch of sheets delivered to the registrar on Feb. 27 could raise another issue. Both of the petition sheets in the batch that recall organizers displayed in a Facebook video include the voter’s year of birth but not the month and day. The full date of birth is required during the five-day addition period, according to state law.

During the second hand-off, a registrar employee asked recall organizer Belden “Noonie Man” Batiste whether each voter had made a request to have their name added to the petition, as required by law. Batiste didn’t answer the question.

While making calls on which signatures to validate, Wilson will confer with Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office. Under state law, the Republican gubernatorial candidate and sharp Cantrell critic advises Wilson’s office.

Landry’s office has so far declined to turn over copies of its communications with Wilson, citing attorney-client privilege.

Under the law, there’s no formal signature challenge process, nor do outside parties have the ability to monitor Wilson’s work. That means Cantrell would likely have to file a lawsuit to knock out signatures.

Multiple media outlets that have asked to view the signature sheets, including The Times-Picayune, have been rebuffed because the count is ongoing. The recall campaign itself asked for copies of the signature sheets and received the same response, Luminais said.