HLS 23RS-906 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 538
BY REPRESENTATIVE JENKINS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
VOTERS/VOTING: Provides relative to early voting locations
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1309(A)(2) and (B)(1) and 1400.8, relative to early voting
3 locations; to provide for additional early voting locations for statewide elections in
4 certain parishes; to provide for the payment of certain expenses related to additional
5 early voting locations; to provide for the alternate location of an early voting
6 location; to provide for notice of locations; to provide for implementation; and to
7 provide for related matters.
8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 18:1309(A)(2) and (B)(1) and 1400.8 are hereby amended and
10reenacted to read as follows:
11 §1309. Early voting; verification
12 A.
13 * * *
14 (2)(a) During the early voting period, the registrar shall maintain regular
15 office hours, remaining open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
16 Early voting on each day of the early voting period shall terminate when all persons
17 who were in line to vote at the close of the regular office hours of the registrar's
18 office, as provided in this Paragraph, have been allowed to vote. If the office space
19 of the registrar is insufficient or inconvenient to accommodate early voting, the
20 registrar may provide for an alternate location to conduct early voting., which
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HB NO. 538
1 location shall be in the courthouse or in a public building in the immediate vicinity
2 thereof, and in such case, adequate
3 (b) During statewide elections, each parish shall provide for a minimum
4 number of early voting locations based on population as shown by the latest federal
5 decennial census and area. The minimum number of early voting locations shall be
6 as follows:
7 Parish Population Range Minimum Number of Early Voting Sites
8 0 to 30,000 1
9 30,001 to 100,000 2
10 100,001 to 200,000 3
11 200,001 to 300,000 4
12 300,001 to 400,000 5
13 400,001 or more 6
14 Parish Area Minimum Number of Early Voting Sites
15 Less than 1,000 square miles1
16 1,000 square miles or more2
17 (c) Adequate notice shall be posted at the registrar's office and on the
18 website of the registrar, if the registrar has a website, and on the website of the clerk
19 of court, if the clerk of court has a website, informing the public of the each location
20 where early voting is being conducted.
21 * * *
22 B.(1) For the purpose of facilitating early voting, the registrar may designate,
23 in addition to the location locations for early voting provided in Subsection A of this
24 Section, one or more branch offices wherein early voting may be conducted. Any
25 such branch office shall be located in a public building, and the days during which
26 early voting may be conducted therein shall be fixed by the registrar, with the
27 approval of the secretary of state, at least thirty days prior to a primary election and
28 twenty-one days prior to a general election, as provided in Subsection A of this
29 Section, and the registrar shall post at his office adequate notice of the days on which
30 early voting will be held at each branch office. However, if a branch office of a
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HB NO. 538
1 registrar is destroyed, inaccessible, or unsafe during or following a gubernatorially
2 declared state of emergency, the registrar may utilize a temporary building as a
3 branch office to discharge his duties until an office that meets the requirements of
4 this Section becomes available. Such temporary office shall be located within the
5 parish, or if there is no appropriate location within the parish due to the emergency,
6 then in an immediately adjacent parish, or if there is no appropriate location in any
7 immediately adjacent parish due to the emergency, then in the nearest parish in
8 which there is an appropriate location.
9 * * *
10 §1400.8. Expenses incurred by registrars of voters conducting early voting; payment
11 by secretary of state
12 A. Election expenses incurred by a registrar of voters and his permanent
13 employees to perform election duties and responsibilities associated with early
14 voting on any day during the week between 4:30 p.m. and the time that early voting
15 terminates that day and on any Saturday on which early voting is conducted shall be
16 paid by the state from funds appropriated to the secretary of state for that purpose
17 and shall be a reimbursable election expense as provided by R.S. 18:1400.2.
18 B.(1) Notwithstanding Subsection A of this Section, for each additional early
19 voting location required by R.S. 18:1309(A)(2)(b) at a statewide election in 2024,
20 twenty-two thousand dollars shall be paid to the registrar of voters from funds
21 appropriated to the secretary of state for that purpose, if adequate funds are
22 appropriated for that purpose.
23 (2) Notwithstanding Subsection A of this Section, beginning with the first
24 statewide election in 2025, for each new early voting location required by R.S.
25 18:1309(A)(2)(b), the following shall be paid to the registrar of voters from funds
26 appropriated to the secretary of state for that purpose:
27 (a) One-half of the technology replacement fee.
28 (b) A subsidy for the salary of four temporary registrar of voters staff for
29 each day of early voting at the current rate paid to a commissioner-in-charge.
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HB NO. 538
1 Section 2. The provisions of R.S. 18.1309(A)(2)(b) as provided by this Act shall be
2implemented in statewide elections beginning in 2024.
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 538 Original 2023 Regular Session Jenkins
Abstract: Provides for additional early voting locations in certain parishes and the payment
of certain expenses related to those additional locations.
Present law (R.S. 18:1309(A)) requires the registrar of voters to conduct early voting in the
registrar's office, unless the space is insufficient, in which case the registrar may provide for
an alternate location which shall be in a courthouse or a public building in the immediate
vicinity of the courthouse.
Proposed law removes the requirement that the alternate location be in a courthouse or
public building in the immediate vicinity of the courthouse.
Present law (R.S. 18:1309(B)) provides that to facilitate early voting, the registrar may
designate, in addition to the location for early voting provided in present law, one or more
branch offices wherein early voting may be conducted.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law (R.S. 18:1309(C)) provides that in parishes which extend in one direction more
than 50 miles and which are interspersed with navigable waters, the registrar may designate,
in addition to the locations for early voting provided for in present law, one additional
branch office wherein early voting may be conducted.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law provides that the minimum number of early voting locations shall be as
follows:
Parish Population Range Minimum Total Number of Early Voting Sites
0 to 30,000 1
30,001 to 100,000 2
100,001 to 200,000 3
200,001 to 300,000 4
300,001 to 400,000 5
400,001 or more 6
Parish Area Minimum Total Number of Early Voting Sites
Less than 1,000 square miles 1
1,000 square miles or more 2
Present law requires notice to be posted at the registrar's office informing the public of the
location where early voting is being conducted.
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HB NO. 538
Proposed law retains present law and further requires notice to be posted on the website of
the registrar, if the registrar has a website, and on the website of the clerk of court, if the
clerk of court has a website.
Present law (R.S. 18:1400.8) provides that election expenses incurred by a registrar of voters
and his permanent employees to perform election duties and responsibilities associated with
early voting shall be paid from funds appropriated to the secretary of state for that purpose
and shall be a reimbursable election expense.
Proposed law retains present law but provides that for each additional early voting location
required by proposed law at a statewide election in 2024, $22,000.00 shall be paid to the
registrar of voters from funds appropriated to the secretary of state for that purpose, if
adequate funds are appropriated.
Proposed law further provides that beginning with the first statewide election in 2025, for
each new early voting location required by proposed law, one-half of the technology
replacement fee and a subsidy for the salary of four temporary registrar of voters staff for
each day of early voting at the current rate paid to a commissioner-in-charge shall be paid
to the registrar of voters from funds appropriated to the secretary of state for that purpose.
(Amends R.S. 18:1309(A)(2) and (B)(1) and 1400.8)
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