HLS 24RS-695 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 347
BY REPRESENTATIVE GREEN
ELECTION DAYS: Extends the duration of the early voting period
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1309(A)(1)(a)(i) and (b)(ii), (2), and (4), (B)(1), and
3 (M)(1)(a) and 1400.8, relative to early voting; to provide for two weeks of early
4 voting; to provide for early voting on Sunday during the early voting period; to
5 provide for the expense of conducting early voting on Sunday; and to provide for
6 related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 18:1309(A)(1)(a)(i) and (b)(ii), (2), and (4), (B)(1), and (M)(1)(a)
9and 1400.8 are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
10 §1309. Early voting; verification
11 A.(1)(a)(i) The period for conducting early voting shall be from fourteen
12 twenty-one days to seven days prior to any scheduled election. However, for the
13 presidential election, the period for conducting early voting shall be from eighteen
14 days to seven days prior to the presidential election.
15 * * *
16 (b)
17 * * *
18 (ii) The additional day shall be the first day preceding the period described
19 in Item (a)(i) of this Paragraph that is not a Sunday or a holiday required to be
20 observed pursuant to Paragraph (4) of this Subsection.
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1 (2)(a) During the early voting period, the registrar shall maintain regular
2 office hours, remaining open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday
3 each day, including Saturday and Sunday. Early voting on each day of the early
4 voting period shall terminate when all persons who were in line to vote at the close
5 of the regular office hours of the registrar's office, as provided in this Paragraph,
6 have been allowed to vote.
7 (b) If the secretary of state determines that the office space of the registrar
8 is insufficient or inconvenient to accommodate early voting, the registrar may
9 provide for an alternate location to conduct early voting, which location shall be in
10 an accessible and conveniently located public facility within the parish, and in such
11 case, adequate notice shall be posted at the registrar's office informing the public of
12 the location where early voting is being conducted.
13 * * *
14 (4) A registrar shall observe the holidays, other than Sundays and Saturdays,
15 which are provided by law or proclaimed by the governor for state departments
16 during any period for conducting early voting.
17 * * *
18 B.(1) For the purpose of facilitating early voting, the registrar may designate,
19 in addition to the location for early voting provided in Subsection A of this Section,
20 one or more branch offices wherein early voting may be conducted. Any such
21 branch office shall be located in a public building, and the days during which early
22 voting may be conducted therein shall be fixed by the registrar, with the approval of
23 the secretary of state, at least thirty thirty-five days prior to a primary election and
24 twenty-one twenty-eight days prior to a general election, as provided in Subsection
25 A of this Section, and the registrar shall post at his office adequate notice of the days
26 on which early voting will be held at each branch office. However, if a branch office
27 of a registrar is destroyed, inaccessible, or unsafe during or following a
28 gubernatorially declared state of emergency, the registrar may utilize a temporary
29 building as a branch office to discharge his duties until an office that meets the
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HB NO. 347
1 requirements of this Section becomes available. Such temporary office shall be
2 located within the parish, or if there is no appropriate location within the parish due
3 to the emergency, then in an immediately adjacent parish, or if there is no
4 appropriate location in any immediately adjacent parish due to the emergency, then
5 in the nearest parish in which there is an appropriate location.
6 * * *
7 M.(1)(a) In a parish where early voting is conducted at an additional location
8 pursuant to R.S. 18:1309.2, the registrar may fix the days during which early voting
9 shall be conducted at the additional location during the early voting period, with the
10 approval of the secretary of state, at least thirty thirty-five days prior to a primary
11 election and twenty-one twenty-eight days prior to a general election.
12 * * *
13 §1400.8. Expenses incurred by registrars of voters conducting early voting; payment
14 by secretary of state
15 Election expenses incurred by a registrar of voters and his permanent
16 employees to perform election duties and responsibilities associated with early
17 voting on any day during the week between 4:30 p.m. and the time that early voting
18 terminates that day and on any Saturday or Sunday on which early voting is
19 conducted shall be paid by the state from funds appropriated to the secretary of state
20 for that purpose and shall be a reimbursable election expense as provided by R.S.
21 18:1400.2.
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 347 Original 2024 Regular Session Green
Abstract: Extends the early voting period to last for two weeks, inclusive of Sundays.
Present law provides the period for conducting early voting shall be from 14 days to seven
days prior to any scheduled election. Further provides that for the presidential election, the
period for conducting early voting shall be from 18 days to seven days prior to the
presidential election.
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HB NO. 347
Proposed law provides the period for conducting early voting shall be from 21 to seven days
prior to any scheduled election.
Present law provides that during the early voting period, the registrar of voters shall maintain
regular office hours, remaining open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Proposed law instead requires the registrar of voters to remain open from 8:30 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. on each day, including Saturdays and Sundays, during the early voting period.
Present law provides that the registrar shall observe holidays which are provided by law or
proclaimed by the governor for state departments during any period to conduct early voting.
Proposed law excepts Sundays and Saturdays from the legal holidays that the registrar is
required to observe.
Present law provides for the designation of a branch or additional office for purposes of
conducting early voting in certain circumstances. Further provides that the days during
which early voting may be conducted in the branch or additional office shall be fixed by the
registrar, with the approval of the secretary of state, at least 30 days prior to a primary
election and 21 days prior to a general election.
Proposed law instead requires that the approval of dates occur at least 35 days prior to a
primary election and 28 days prior to a general election.
Present law provides that election expenses incurred by a registrar of voters and his
permanent employees to perform election duties and responsibilities associated with early
voting on any day during the week between 4:30 p.m. and the time that early voting
terminates that day and on any Saturday on which early voting is conducted shall be paid by
the state from funds appropriated to the secretary of state for that purpose and shall be a
reimbursable election expense.
Proposed law retains present law and further provides the same for any Sunday on which
early voting is conducted.
(Amends R.S. 18:1309(A)(1)(a)(i) and (b)(ii), (2), and (4), (B)(1), and (M)(1)(a) and 1400.8)
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