SLS 22RS-520 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 343
BY SENATOR CARTER
VOTERS/VOTING. Requires each parish to have at least two early voting locations and
requires early voting locations for certain municipalities. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1309(A)(2) and (B)(1) and to enact R.S. 18:1303(M), relative
3 to early voting; to provide relative to voting other than on election day; to provide
4 for early voting locations; to provide for absentee by mail voting; and to provide for
5 related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 18:1309(A)(2) and (B)(1) are hereby amended and reenacted and
8 R.S. 18:1303(M) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 §1303. Persons entitled to vote in compliance with this Chapter
10 * * *
11 M. Rural voters. A voter living more than twenty-five miles by roadway
12 from the closest early voting location in his parish may vote absentee by mail
13 upon meeting the requirements of this Chapter.
14 * * *
15 §1309. Early voting; verification
16 A. * * *
17 (2)(a) During the early voting period, the registrar shall maintain regular
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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. 343
SLS 22RS-520 ORIGINAL
1 office hours, remaining open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
2 Early voting on each day of the early voting period shall terminate when all persons
3 who were in line to vote at the close of the regular office hours of the registrar's
4 office, as provided in this Paragraph, have been allowed to vote. If the office space
5 of the registrar is insufficient or inconvenient to accommodate early voting, the
6 registrar may provide for an alternate location to conduct early voting, which
7 location shall be in the courthouse or in a public building in the immediate vicinity
8 thereof, and in such case, adequate notice shall be posted at the registrar's office
9 informing the public of the location where early voting is being conducted.
10 (b) In addition to the location for early voting provided in Subparagraph
11 (a) of this Paragraph, at least one other location for early voting shall be
12 provided in each parish.
13 (c) At least one location for early voting shall be provided in each
14 municipality with a population of ten thousand or more voters, as recorded by
15 the close of registration in the most recent statewide election cycle, with an
16 additional site provided for each multiple of ten thousand voters in the
17 municipality.
18 * * *
19 B.(1) For the purpose of facilitating early voting, the registrar may designate,
20 in addition to the location locations for early voting provided in Subsection A of this
21 Section, one or more branch offices wherein early voting may be conducted. Any
22 such branch office shall be located in a public building, and the days during which
23 early voting may be conducted therein shall be fixed by the registrar, with the
24 approval of the secretary of state, at least thirty days prior to a primary election and
25 twenty-one days prior to a general election, as provided in Subsection A of this
26 Section, and the registrar shall post at his office adequate notice of the days on which
27 early voting will be held at each branch office. However, if a branch office of a
28 registrar is destroyed, inaccessible, or unsafe during or following a gubernatorially
29 declared state of emergency, the registrar may utilize a temporary building as a
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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. 343
SLS 22RS-520 ORIGINAL
1 branch office to discharge his duties until an office that meets the requirements of
2 this Section becomes available. Such temporary office shall be located within the
3 parish, or if there is no appropriate location within the parish due to the emergency,
4 then in an immediately adjacent parish, or if there is no appropriate location in any
5 immediately adjacent parish due to the emergency, then in the nearest parish in
6 which there is an appropriate location.
7 * * *
8 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
9 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
10 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
11 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
12 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 LG Sullivan.
DIGEST
SB 343 Original 2022 Regular Session Carter
Present law provides that certain persons entitled to vote by absentee mail including anyone
who has attained the age of 65 and certain employees of the secretary of state and of
registrars.
Proposed law retains present law and allows any voter living over 25 miles by roadway from
the closest early voting location in his parish to the list of those who may vote absentee by
mail.
Present law requires the registrar of voters to meet certain requirements during early voting
including certain hours of operation at the registrar's office. Allows the registrar to designate
branch offices as early voting locations. Provides for the registrar to provide alternative
locations for early voting under certain conditions.
Proposed law retains present law and requires each parish, in addition to the registrar's
office, to have at least one other voting location.
Proposed law further provides that at least one location for early voting shall be provided in
each municipality with a population of 10,000 or more voters, as recorded by the close of
registration in the most recent statewide election cycle, with an additional site provided for
each multiple of 10,000 voters in the municipality.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 18:1309(A)(2) and (B)(1); adds R.S. 18:1303(M))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.