RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 546 (HB 351) 2018 Regular Session Jenkins
Existing law (R.S. 18:1333) provides relative to the nursing home early voting program.
Provides requirements and procedures for the program, which involves the registrar going
to each nursing home in the parish where eligible voters reside to allow them to cast a mail
ballot.
Existing law provides that a voter who participated in the former Special Program for
Handicapped Voters as such program existed prior to Jan. 1, 2010, and who is a resident of
a nursing home is eligible to participate in the program.
Existing law requires a qualified voter to reside in a nursing home within the parish in which
he is entitled to vote in order to be eligible to participate in the program.
Prior law additionally required the qualified voter to be unable to vote in person at the polls
on election day or during early voting due to a physical disability. New law repeals prior
law.
Existing law requires an eligible voter to make written application to the registrar of voters
prior to participating in the program. Provides requirements for the application and
deadlines.
Prior law provided that application was made by letter and referred to the letter as a request.
New law repeals prior law.
Prior law required the voter to provide to the registrar of voters current proof of disability
from a physician along with a certification from the physician that the voter was unable to
appear in person to vote either during early voting or at the polling place.
New law repeals prior law. Instead requires the voter to certify that he is a resident of the
nursing home.
Existing law defines "nursing home" to include a veterans' home operated by the state or
federal government.
Prior law included in this definition the requirement that the veterans' home be one where
a person resided who was unable to vote in person at the polls or during early voting because
of a physical disability. New law repeals prior law.
Effective January 1, 2019.
(Amends R.S. 18:1333(A), (B), (C)(2), and (D))