SLS 21RS-340 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 224
BY SENATOR CLOUD
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
VOTERS/VOTING. Prohibits the use of ballot drop boxes. (8/1/21)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1308(B) relative to absentee by mail and early voting ballots;
3 to prohibit the use of drop boxes; to provide for definitions; and to provide for
4 related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 18:1308(B) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง1308. Absentee voting by mail
8 * * *
9 B(1). The ballot shall be marked as provided in R.S. 18:1310 and returned to
10 the registrar by the United States Postal Service, a commercial courier, or hand
11 delivery. If delivered by other than the voter, a commercial courier, or the United
12 States Postal Service, the registrar shall require that the person making such delivery
13 sign a statement, prepared by the secretary of state, certifying that he has the
14 authorization and consent of the voter to hand deliver the marked ballot. For
15 purposes of this Subsection, "commercial courier" shall have the same meaning as
16 provided in R.S. 13:3204(D). No person except the immediate family of the voter,
17 as defined in this Code, shall hand deliver more than one marked ballot to the
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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. 224
SLS 21RS-340 ORIGINAL
1 registrar. Upon its receipt, the registrar shall post the name and precinct of the voter
2 as required by R.S. 18:1311.
3 (2) The use of a drop box for the purpose of returning a ballot to the
4 registrar is expressly prohibited. For purposes of this Paragraph "drop box"
5 means a monitored or unmonitored receptacle designated for the purpose of
6 returning an absentee by mail ballot.
7 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Matt DeVille.
DIGEST
SB 224 Original 2021 Regular Session Cloud
Present law provides that an absentee by mail ballot must be returned to the registrar by the
United States Postal Services, a commercial courier, or hand delivery.
Proposed law retains present law and prohibits the use of a drop box for the purpose of
returning a ballot to the registrar.
Proposed law defines "drop box" to mean a monitored or unmonitored receptacle designated
for the purpose of returning an absentee by mail ballot.
Effective August 1, 2021.
(Amends R.S. 18:1308(B))
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.