HLS 201ES-93 ORIGINAL
2020 First Extraordinary Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 10
BY REPRESENTATIVES DUPLESSIS, JAMES, AND LANDRY
VOTERS/VOTING: Directs the Department of State to provide statistical information
regarding correspondence sent by the secretary of state to certain voters and to direct
the secretary and others to appear before the House Committee on House and
Governmental Affairs
1 A RESOLUTION
2To direct the Department of State to provide to each member of the House of
3 Representatives specified statistical information regarding certain correspondence
4 about the ability to vote absentee by mail and to direct the secretary of state and
5 employees of the Department of State to appear before the House Committee on
6 House and Governmental Affairs to provide information regarding the same.
7 WHEREAS, Article XI, Section 1 of the Constitution of Louisiana requires the
8legislature to adopt an election code; and
9 WHEREAS, Article XI, Section 2 of the Constitution of Louisiana requires the
10legislature to provide a method for absentee voting; and
11 WHEREAS, in 2007, the legislature enacted R.S. 18:1303(J) to authorize qualified
12voters who have attained the age of sixty-five years or more to vote absentee by mail; and
13 WHEREAS, the legislature subsequently extended the time those voters' applications
14to vote absentee by mail remain valid from one year to indefinitely, until a ballot is returned
15as undeliverable; this is informally known as Louisiana's 65 and older vote by mail program;
16and
17 WHEREAS, on April 1, 2020, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin mailed a letter to
18certain voters encouraging enrollment in this program; and
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HR NO. 10
1 WHEREAS, it has been reported that the letter sent by the secretary of state on April
21, 2020, was mailed to approximately only 315,000 of the 680,000 eligible voters who are
3not already enrolled in the program; and
4 WHEREAS, many members of the House of Representatives of the Legislature of
5Louisiana have expressed concern regarding numerous eligible voters who were not included
6in the initial correspondence from the secretary of state; and
7 WHEREAS, the legislature has enacted several provisions in the Louisiana Election
8Code to ensure that the voter registration process and elections are conducted and
9administered by election officials in an equitable and nonpartisan manner; and
10 WHEREAS, in order to ensure the integrity of Louisiana's elections and fairness in
11the voting and election process, the House of Representatives needs to have information
12regarding the demographics of the voters eligible for the program who were sent the initial
13correspondence on April 1, 2020, and the demographics of the voters eligible for the
14program who were not sent the initial correspondence by the secretary of state on April 1,
152020; and
16 WHEREAS, the House of Representatives, through the House Committee on House
17and Governmental Affairs, requires testimony from the secretary of state and employees
18from the Department of State regarding issues involving the April 1, 2020, correspondence.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
20Legislature of Louisiana does hereby direct the Department of State to provide to each
21member of the House of Representatives, no later than June 9, 2020, a report detailing the
22age, race, sex, party affiliation, and zip code of the eligible voters who were sent the initial
23correspondence on April 1, 2020, encouraging enrollment in Louisiana's 65 and older vote
24by mail program and a report detailing the age, race, sex, party affiliation, and zip code of
25the eligible voters who were not sent the initial correspondence on April 1, 2020.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature
27of Louisiana does hereby direct Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and any employees of the
28Department of State who have information related to the referenced April 1, 2020,
29correspondence to appear before the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs
30at a meeting called by the chairman of that committee to receive the information from the
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HR NO. 10
1secretary of state and the Department of State and its employees regarding the April 1, 2020,
2correspondence.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 10 Original 2020 First Extraordinary Session Duplessis
Directs the Dept. of State to provide to each member of the House, no later than June 9,
2020, a report detailing the age, race, sex, party affiliation, and zip code of the eligible voters
who were sent correspondence on April 1, 2020, encouraging enrollment in La.'s 65 and
older vote by mail program and a report detailing the age, race, sex, party affiliation, and zip
code of the eligible voters who were not sent the initial correspondence. Further directs
Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and any employees of the Dept. of State who have
information related to the referenced April 1, 2020, correspondence to appear before the
House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs at a meeting called by the chairman
of that committee to receive information from the secretary of state and the department and
its employees regarding the April 1, 2020, correspondence.
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