DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 519 Original 2023 Regular Session Carpenter
Abstract: Provides that a sheriff or his representative may deliver via hand delivery or facsimile
the applications for absentee voting and completed absentee ballots of incarcerated voters
in the custody and care of the sheriff who are otherwise eligible to vote absentee by mail.
Present law (R.S. 18:1303(G)) authorizes a person incarcerated in an institution inside or outside the
parish in which he is qualified to vote, who is not under an order of imprisonment for conviction of
a felony, to vote absentee by mail, only, upon certification to the appropriate registrar by the sheriff
of the parish where the person is incarcerated that he is not a convicted felon.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law (R.S. 18:115) requires a registered voter who has registered by mail and has not
previously voted in the parish in which he is registered to vote in person either at a location where
early voting is conducted in the parish in which he is registered to vote or at the precinct in which
he is registered to vote.
Proposed law retains present law with the exception that an incarcerated voter who is otherwise
authorized by present law to vote absentee by mail is not required to vote in person.
Present law (R.S. 18:1307) provides that an application to vote by mail may be delivered to the
registrar by any means, including the United States Postal Service, commercial delivery service, hand
delivery, or facsimile.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law (R.S. 18:1307) provides that a person sending the application by facsimile shall sign the
application to indicate that he is the sender and shall include the facsimile number from where the
facsimile was sent. Further requires a person hand delivering an application to sign the application.
Present law prohibits any person, except the immediate family of any voter from sending by
facsimile or hand delivering more than one voter's application to vote by mail to the registrar of
voters.
Proposed law retains present law with the exception that a sheriff or a representative of the sheriff's
office may deliver via fax or hand delivery the completed application to vote by mail for any
registered voter under the control and custody of the sheriff's office who is applying to vote absentee
by mail. The sheriff or his representative shall not be required to sign the application and may deliver more than one voter's application to vote by mail to the registrar of voters.
Present law (R.S. 18:1307) prohibits a candidate or agent of a party or campaign in the election to
fax an application to vote by mail from a fax machine that he owns, operates, or controls, unless the
application is for the candidate.
Proposed law retains present law, but provides an exception for an application faxed by the sheriff
or a representative of the sheriff's office if the application is for a voter under the control and custody
of a sheriff's office.
Present law (R.S. 18:1308) prohibits any person except the immediate family of the voter from hand
delivering more than one marked ballot per election to the registrar.
Proposed law retains present law except to provide that a sheriff or a representative of the sheriff's
office may deliver more than one marked ballot of registered voters under the control and custody
of the sheriff's office who are seeking to vote absentee by mail.
(Amends R.S. 18:1307(B)(1)(b) and 1308(B)(1); Adds R.S. 18:115(F)(2)(f) and 1307(B)(1)(a)(iv))