The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Matt DeVille.
DIGEST
SB 235 Original 2021 Regular Session Hewitt
Present law provides for an open primary system for all municipal, local, state, and federal elections
other than the presidential preference primary in which voters of any political affiliation may cast
a ballot for any candidate.
Proposed law retains present law for all elections that utilize the open primary system and creates
a closed party primary system for congressional elections.
Proposed law provides that recognized political parties with a minimum membership of five percent
of the state's registered voters as of sixty days prior to candidate qualifying shall hold party primary
elections to select a single candidate to advance to the general election.
Proposed law provides that voters are required to be members of the recognized political party in
order to participate in its party primary unless the bylaws and regulations of the party's state central
committee allow for unaffiliated voters to participate.
Proposed law provides that the candidate who receives the most votes in a party primary election
shall be declared the winner. In the event of a tie or all votes cast being declared void, a second party
primary shall be held to determine the winner.
Proposed law provides for methods of candidate qualification and objection and election procedure.
Effective August 1, 2021.
(Amends R.S. 18:44(A) and (B)(5)(b), 110(B)(1)(intro para), 197, 401(B), 402(B), (C)(intro para),
and (G)(2), 433(G)(1), (H)(1)(intro para), 434(A)(1), 434(C)(intro para) and (D)(1) and (2),
435(A)(1)(a) and (A)(2), and (B)(1), 436, 453(A), 467(intro para) and 467(2), 468(A), 481, 491(A)
and (C)(1) and (2), 493, 552(A)(intro para), 1272(A), 1278(B), 1279, 1285(B)(1)(a), 1300(C)(1),
1300.7(A), 1306(A)(4), and (C)(2), 1307(E), 1308(A)(2)(a), (b), and (g), 1314(B)(1) and (2), (C),
and (D)(1), 1401(A) and (B), 1402(B)(1)(c), 1406(B), 1407, 1409(B)(1) and (2), 1432(A)(1), and
1461(A)(1); adds R.S. 18:1275.1-1275.25)