ENROLLED
ACT No. 508
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 614
BY REPRESENTATIVES MORENO, BAGNERIS, BOUIE, GARY CARTER, ROBBY
CARTER, STEVE CARTER, JIMMY HARRIS, HAVARD, HILFERTY,
HORTON, LYONS, MAGEE, MARCELLE, NORTON, PIERRE, PRICE, SMITH,
AND WHITE
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1310(A)(2) and to enact R.S. 18:1308(A)(1)(d), relative to
3 voting absentee by mail; to provide for the electronic transmission of voting
4 materials to certain voters under certain circumstances; to provide relative to the
5 procedures and requirements for voting using such materials; and to provide for
6 related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 18:1310(A)(2) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
9 18:1308(A)(1)(d) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §1308. Absentee voting by mail
11 A.(1)
12 * * *
13 (d)(i) Upon request, the registrar shall transmit electronically a ballot,
14 certificate, and waiver of the right to a secret ballot to a voter who is eligible to vote
15 absentee by mail pursuant to R.S. 18:1303(F) or (I) and who is unable to vote an
16 absentee by mail ballot without assistance because of a disability.
17 (ii) The waiver of the right to a secret ballot shall contain the following
18 statement: "My ballot was transmitted electronically to me, and I am voluntarily
19 waiving my right to a secret ballot." The waiver shall also contain spaces for the
20 voter's handwritten signature or mark, the date, and the last four digits of the voter's
21 social security number.
22 (iii) The voter shall mark the ballot and complete the certificate and waiver
23 as provided in R.S. 18:1310 and return his voted ballot and completed certificate and
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are additions. HB NO. 614 ENROLLED
1 waiver to the registrar by facsimile or any means authorized by Subsection B of this
2 Section. The registrar and his staff shall take the steps necessary to keep the voted
3 ballot as confidential as practicable.
4 * * *
5 §1310. Execution of certificate; marking of ballot; casting vote; assistance
6 A.
7 * * *
8 (2) When a member of the United States Service or a person residing outside
9 the United States who is registered to vote receives the absentee voting materials by
10 electronic transmission, he absentee by mail voting materials are electronically
11 transmitted to a voter pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter, the voter first shall
12 mark each ballot according to the instructions on the ballot, either by marking the
13 ballot electronically and then printing it, or by printing the ballot first and then
14 marking it by hand. The voter shall then print all remaining documents and fill in
15 all blanks on the certificate and the waiver of the right to a secret ballot for each
16 ballot mailing. The voter then shall mark the ballot or ballots according to the
17 printed instructions on its face. The voter shall then place the voted ballot or ballots,
18 completed certificate, and waiver of the right to a secret ballot for each ballot mailing
19 in a separate envelope, seal the envelope, mark "Absentee Ballot Enclosed" on the
20 envelope, and mail the envelope and its contents to the registrar of voters.
21 * * *
22 Section 2. This Act shall become effective January 1, 2017.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.