HLS 23RS-308 ENGROSSED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 1
BY REPRESENTATIVE SCHLEGEL
VOTERS/VOTING: Provides relative to the removal of deceased voters from the voter
registration rolls
1 A RESOLUTION
2To urge and request the registrar of voters of each parish to submit to the Department of
3 State, and for the Department of State to subsequently submit to the Louisiana House
4 of Representatives, an annual report on the results of the annual canvass of registered
5 voters and the removal of deceased voters from the voter registration rolls in each
6 parish.
7 WHEREAS, Louisiana's voter rolls should only include living United States citizens
8who reside at the address listed in the voter rolls; and
9 WHEREAS, Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana provides for the
10right to vote and was amended, with the approval of seventy-three percent of the vote at the
11December 10, 2022, election, to provide that no person who is not a citizen of the United
12States shall be allowed to register and vote in this state; and
13 WHEREAS, as evidenced by the successful passage of the constitutional amendment,
14Louisiana voters value the integrity of the right to vote and the voter registration process;
15and
16 WHEREAS, R.S. 18:192 and 193 requires the registrar of voters of each parish to
17conduct an annual canvass for the purpose of identifying registered voters who are no longer
18qualified to be registered or have changed their residence; and
19 WHEREAS, to facilitate the canvass process, the law further requires the Department
20of State to use the United States Postal Service or its licensee to verify the names and
21addresses of the registrants in all precincts in the state; and
Page 1 of 3 HLS 23RS-308 ENGROSSED
HR NO. 1
1 WHEREAS, R.S. 18:173, which provides for the removal of deceased voters from
2the voting rolls, was amended by Act No. 364 of the 2021 Regular Session of the
3Legislature, which passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and Senate and was
4subsequently signed by the governor; and
5 WHEREAS, R.S. 18:173 requires the registrar of voters of each parish to remove
6from the voter registration rolls the names of deceased voters upon receipt of a certified copy
7of the voter's death certificate and requires the registrar of voters to search obituaries for
8deceased persons whose registrations were not cancelled and to cancel such registrations
9accordingly; and
10 WHEREAS, the law further requires the Department of State to cancel the
11registration of any deceased person as deaths are reported to the department by the
12Department of Health; and
13 WHEREAS, as evidenced by the unanimous vote of the legislature in passing Act
14No. 364, the legislature finds it a priority that the voting rolls be properly maintained and
15that deceased voters be promptly removed.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
17Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request that the Department of State and the
18registrar of voters of each parish complete the legal requirements of R.S. 18:173 in a timely
19manner.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives does hereby urge
21and request the registrar of voters of each parish to annually submit a report to the
22Department of State, on or before July thirtieth, that includes the following:
23(1)Actions taken by the registrar's office in the prior year to canvass and verify voter
24 registration information, the total number of voters verified by the canvass, the total
25 number of voters not verified by the canvass, and any actions taken as a result of the
26 canvass process.
27(2)The number of deceased voters removed from the voter rolls in the prior year.
Page 2 of 3 HLS 23RS-308 ENGROSSED
HR NO. 1
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives does hereby urge
2and request that the Department of State annually submit a report to the House of
3Representatives, on or before August thirtieth, that includes the following:
4(1)Actions taken by the Department of State and each registrar of voters in the prior
5 year to canvass and verify voter registration information, the total number of voters
6 verified by the canvass, the total number of voters not verified by the canvass, and
7 any actions taken as a result of the canvass process.
8(2)The number of deceased voters removed from the voter rolls in each parish in the
9 prior year.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
11secretary of state and the registrar of voters of each parish.
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)]
HR 1 Engrossed 2023 Regular Session Schlegel
Requires that the Dept. of State and each registrar of voters report to the House of
Representatives regarding the efforts undertaken pursuant to and the results of the annual
canvass and the removal of deceased voters from the voter rolls in each parish.
Page 3 of 3