SLS 20RS-251 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 75
BY SENATOR MIZELL
VOTERS/VOTING. Provides relative to addresses to where absentee by mail ballots are
sent. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1307(A), relative to absentee voting; to prohibit the sending
3 of absentee by mail ballots to certain addresses; and to provide for related matters.
4 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
5 Section 1. R.S. 18:1307(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
6 ยง1307. Application by mail
7 A. A person qualified to vote absentee by mail under this Chapter may make
8 application therefor to the registrar by letter; over his signature or mark if the voter
9 is unable to sign his name, signed by two witnesses who witnessed the applicant's
10 mark; setting forth:
11 (1) The election or elections for which he requests an absentee ballot.
12 (2) The reason for his request to vote absentee by mail and attaching any
13 documents in support thereof that are required by law. Any person who is or expects
14 to be temporarily outside the territorial limits of the state or absent from the parish
15 in which he is qualified to vote during the early voting period and on election day
16 and who requests an absentee ballot be mailed to an address within the parish shall
17 indicate in his application the dates he will be outside the territorial limits of the state
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 75
SLS 20RS-251 ORIGINAL
1 or absent from the parish.
2 (3) The address to which the absentee ballot or ballots shall be sent. If the
3 address is within the parish or an adjacent parish, such address shall only be the
4 address at which the applicant is registered to vote, his mailing address on file with
5 the registrar of voters, or an address at which he regularly receives mail.
6 (4) Notwithstanding Paragraph (3) of this Subsection, the absentee by
7 mail ballots shall not be sent to the following addresses:
8 (a) The address of a political party.
9 (b) The residential, business, or campaign address of a candidate, unless
10 the address is for the candidate's ballot or a ballot of an immediate family
11 member of the candidate.
12 (c) A business address, unless the business address is the mailing address
13 on file with the registrar of voters or an address at which the person regularly
14 receives mail.
15 (4)(5) The ward and precinct in which the person is qualified to vote, if
16 known.
17 (5)(6) The date of birth of the voter.
18 (6)(7) The maiden name of the voter's mother or other identifying
19 information provided in the voter's application for registration pursuant to R.S.
20 18:104(A)(12).
21 (7)(8) The street address in the parish where the voter resides. A post office
22 box is insufficient.
23 (8)(9) If the person requests that a ballot for a general election be sent in
24 addition to a ballot for the primary, he shall declare in writing to the registrar that he
25 will be eligible to vote absentee by mail in the general election.
26 * * *
27 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
28 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
29 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 75
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1 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
2 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Tim Prather.
DIGEST
SB 75 Original 2020 Regular Session Mizell
Present law provides that a person qualified to vote absentee by mail as provided by present
law may apply to the registrar by letter stating:
(a)The election or elections for which he requests an absentee ballot.
(b)The reason for his request to vote absentee by mail and attaching any supporting
documentation.
(c)The address to which the absentee ballot or ballots shall be sent.
(d)The ward and precinct in which the person is qualified to vote, if known.
(e)The date of birth of the voter.
(f)The maiden name of the voter's mother or other identifying information provided in
the voter's application for registration.
(g)The street address in the parish where the voter resides.
(h)If the person requests that a ballot for a general election be sent in addition to a ballot
for the primary, he shall declare in writing to the registrar that he will be eligible to
vote absentee by mail in the general election.
Proposed law provides that the absentee by mail ballots will not be sent to the following
addresses:
(a)The address of a political party.
(b)The residential, business, or campaign address of a candidate, unless the address is
for the candidate's ballot or a ballot of an immediate family member of the candidate.
(c)A business address, unless the business address is the mailing address on file with
the registrar of voters or an address at which the person regularly receives mail.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 18:1307(A))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.