§ La. R.S. 18:1308.3(untitled)

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Special provision for temporarily displaced persons
A. The Legislature of Louisiana recognizes that due to the recent common disaster and state of
emergency an unprecedented number of persons have been temporarily displaced from their parishes of
residence for an indefinite period of time. Because the right to vote is a right that is essential to the effective
operation of a democratic government, the legislature finds that the state has a compelling interest in securing
the right to vote for any temporarily displaced person who may experience greater difficulty exercising his
right due to his displaced status.
(1) The legislature, therefore, enacts this Paragraph to provide for the following provisions,
applicable to members of the United States service or persons residing outside the United States, to apply
to any registered voter temporarily displaced from his parish of residence when he submits with an
application to vote by mail an affidavit attesting that he is temporarily displaced from his parish of residence
by reason of the state of emergency, that he is eligible to vote in his parish of residence, and that he expects
to be out of his parish of registration during early voting and on election day: R.S. 18:1307(C) and
1311(D)(1)(a), except that the application to vote by mail shall be valid for a period of one year following
February 23, 2006. The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to any person who has not previously
voted in his parish of residence either during early voting in the office of the registrar or at the precinct in
which he is registered to vote.
(2)(a) The legislature, therefore, additionally enacts this Paragraph to provide for the following
provisions, applicable to members of the United States service or persons residing outside the United States,
to apply to any registered voter, who registered to vote by mail on or after October 5, 2004 but prior to
September 25, 2005, who is temporarily displaced from his parish of residence when he submits with an
application to vote by mail an affidavit attesting that he is temporarily displaced from his parish of residence
by reason of the state of emergency, that he is eligible to vote in his parish of residence, and that he expects
to be out of his parish of registration during early voting and on election day: R.S. 18:115(F)(2)(a), 1307(C),
and 1311(D)(1)(a), except that the application to vote by mail shall be valid for a period of one year
following February 23, 2006.
(b) Upon expiration of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, any voter who has voted absentee by
mail pursuant to Subparagraph (a) who has not voted during early voting at the registrar's office or at the
polls on election day shall not be considered to have previously voted in the parish in which he is registered
for purposes of R.S. 18:115(F)(1) and shall be subject to the requirements of R.S. 18:115(F)(1).
B. The provisions of R.S. 18:1308(A)(2) shall not apply to absentee by mail voting conducted
pursuant to this Section. The provisions of Subsection B, Paragraph (A)(1), and Subparagraph (A)(2)(a) of
this Section shall be effective for a period of one year following February 23, 2006.
226 – House of Representatives Database
R.S. 18:1309
C. When a person has submitted an application to vote absentee by mail pursuant to this Section,
the registrar shall, prior to sending the absentee by mail ballot, contact the appropriate election official in
the jurisdiction where the applicant has requested for his absentee by mail ballot to be sent and attempt to
verify that the person has not registered to vote in that jurisdiction, or if such jurisdiction has a statewide
voter registration database, in that state. If the registrar finds that the person has registered in that
jurisdiction or state, the person shall not be permitted to vote absentee by mail and the registrar shall proceed
in accordance with the applicable provisions of Part V of Chapter 4 of this Code.

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