SLS 20RS-884 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 497
BY SENATOR BARROW
VOTERS/VOTING. Allows a voter to request his absentee by mail ballot be rescinded in
the event an election is delayed as a result of a declared state of emergency. (8/1/20)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 18:1308(D), relative to absentee by mail voting; to provide for the ability to
3 rescind an absentee by mail ballot in the event of a declared emergency; to provide
4 for appropriate rules and materials; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 18:1308(D) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 ยง1308. Absentee voting by mail
8 * * *
9 D.(1) Notwithstanding any applicable provision of this Chapter, in the
10 event an election is delayed as a result of a state of emergency declared pursuant
11 to R.S. 24:742(B)(1), a voter may request to rescind his absentee by mail ballot
12 if the ballot was submitted prior to the declared state of emergency.
13 (2) Rules and instructions for the protocol established in Paragraph (1)
14 of this Subsection shall be promulgated and prepared by the secretary of state
15 in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act and included in the
16 materials provided for in R.S. 18:1306(B)(1).
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 497
SLS 20RS-884 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Matt DeVille.
DIGEST
SB 497 Original 2020 Regular Session Barrow
Proposed law provides that a voter who has submitted an absentee by mail ballot for an
election delayed by a state of emergency as declared by the governor may request to have
his ballot rescinded if it was submitted prior to the declared state of emergency.
Proposed law provides that the secretary of state will promulgate rules and instructions in
accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.
Effective August 1, 2020
(Adds R.S. 18:1308(D))
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.