§ La. R.S. 18:1309(untitled)

Early voting; verification
A.(1)(a)(i) The period for conducting early voting shall be from fourteen days to seven days prior
to any scheduled election. However, for the presidential election, the period for conducting early voting shall
be from eighteen days to seven days prior to the presidential election.
(ii) The period for conducting early voting shall also include the day added pursuant to
Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph, if applicable.
(b)(i) One day of early voting shall be added to the period specified in Item (a)(i) of this Paragraph
if one or more holidays is required to be observed on a weekday during that period pursuant to Paragraph
(4) of this Subsection.
(ii) The additional day shall be the first day preceding the period described in Item (a)(i) of this
Paragraph that is not a Sunday or a holiday required to be observed pursuant to Paragraph (4) of this
Subsection.
(2) During the early voting period, the registrar shall maintain regular office hours, remaining open
from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Early voting on each day of the early voting period
shall terminate when all persons who were in line to vote at the close of the regular office hours of the
registrar's office, as provided in this Paragraph, have been allowed to vote. If the secretary of state determines
that the office space of the registrar is insufficient or inconvenient to accommodate early voting, the registrar
may provide for an alternate location to conduct early voting, which location shall be in an accessible and
conveniently located public facility within the parish, and in such case, adequate notice shall be posted at
the registrar's office informing the public of the location where early voting is being conducted.
(3) A law enforcement officer shall not interfere with the conduct of the election, the voters, or the
election officials. However, a registrar may use law enforcement officers to maintain order at any location
where early voting is conducted.
(4) A registrar shall observe the holidays which are provided by law or proclaimed by the governor
for state departments during any period for conducting early voting.
(5) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, law enforcement officers may
enter the early voting location when there is a reasonable belief there is an emergency and the registrar is
unable to summon the law enforcement officers.
B.(1) For the purpose of facilitating early voting, the registrar may designate, in addition to the
location for early voting provided in Subsection A of this Section, one or more branch offices wherein early
voting may be conducted. Any such branch office shall be located in a public building, and the days during
which early voting may be conducted therein shall be fixed by the registrar, with the approval of the secretary
of state, at least thirty days prior to a primary election and twenty-one days prior to a general election, as
provided in Subsection A of this Section, and the registrar shall post at his office adequate notice of the days
on which early voting will be held at each branch office. However, if a branch office of a registrar is
destroyed, inaccessible, or unsafe during or following a gubernatorially declared state of emergency, the
registrar may utilize a temporary building as a branch office to discharge his duties until an office that meets
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the requirements of this Section becomes available. Such temporary office shall be located within the parish,
or if there is no appropriate location within the parish due to the emergency, then in an immediately adjacent
parish, or if there is no appropriate location in any immediately adjacent parish due to the emergency, then
in the nearest parish in which there is an appropriate location.
(2) The registrar shall provide or post the voters' bill of rights and informational posters, if required,
the statement of proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot, and a sample ballot prepared by the
secretary of state in a conspicuous place at the principal entrance to the early voting polling place, where they
shall remain posted throughout early voting.
C. In parishes which extend in one direction more than fifty miles and which are interspersed with
navigable waters, the registrar may designate, in addition to the locations for early voting provided for in
Subsections A and B of this Section, one additional branch office wherein early voting may be conducted.
Any such branch office shall be located in a public building and the hours during which early voting may be
conducted therein shall be fixed by the registrar.
D.(1)(a) Before any voter is allowed to vote during early voting, the registrar or his deputy shall
establish the voter's identity by requiring him to submit one of the following:
(i) A Louisiana driver's license, a Louisiana special identification card issued pursuant to R.S.
40:1321, or other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the
voter.
(ii) A United States military identification card that contains the voter's name and picture.
(b) If the voter does not have one of the forms of identification provided in Subparagraph (a) of this
Paragraph, the voter shall complete and sign, in the presence of the registrar or his deputy, a voter
identification affidavit to that effect provided by the secretary of state, which affidavit shall include the
voter's date of birth and mother's maiden name. If the voter is unable to read or write or is otherwise unable
to complete the affidavit due to disability, the voter may receive assistance in completing the affidavit, and
the registrar or his deputy shall make a notation on the affidavit. The voter may receive the assistance of any
person of his choice, including the registrar or his deputy, except a candidate, the voter's employer or
employer's agent, or the voter's union agent. The registrar or his deputy shall retain the affidavit in the office
of the registrar of voters.
(c) If satisfied that the voter has identified himself as the voter registered in the state voter
registration computer system and that he is qualified to vote, the registrar or his deputy shall initial the early
voting register kept by the registrar opposite the voter's signature or mark. The voter then shall be allowed
to vote.
(d) A voter who votes without the picture identification required by Subparagraph (a) of this
Paragraph is subject to challenge as provided in R.S. 18:1315.
(2) If the voter's name is found in the state voter registration computer system on the inactive list
of voters, the voter shall be required to complete an address confirmation card to determine his eligibility
to vote.
E.(1) The voter's identity having been established as provided in Subsection D of this Section, the
voter shall sign or make his mark prior to voting in the early voting register.
(2) The registrar or deputy registrar shall electronically generate an early voting confirmation sheet
for each voter using the state voter registration computer system or a form prepared by the secretary of state
and retain the confirmation sheet in the office of the registrar to be used by the registrar to verify each early
voter at the end of the early voting period. If a paper ballot is used for early voting in lieu of a voting
machine, the registrar or deputy registrar shall write "early voting paper ballot voter" across the early voting
confirmation sheet for the voter and attach it to the paper ballot envelope.
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(3) The voter then shall be allowed to cast his vote in an area and in a manner that protects the
secrecy of his vote.
(4)(a)(i) A voter shall not remain in a voting machine longer than six minutes. If a voter fails to
leave a voting machine promptly after the registrar or deputy registrar has notified him that six minutes have
elapsed, the registrar or deputy registrar shall have the voter removed from the voting machine.
(ii) Notwithstanding Item (i) of this Subparagraph, if the ballot is lengthy or if it contains complex
propositions or constitutional amendments, the registrar or deputy registrar may allocate additional time in
an equitable manner.
(b) Notwithstanding Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, a voter receiving assistance in voting
pursuant to R.S. 18:1309.3 or a voter using the audio ballot shall be allowed to remain in a voting machine
for up to twenty minutes. If such a voter fails to leave a voting machine promptly after the registrar or deputy
registrar has notified him that twenty minutes have elapsed, the registrar or deputy registrar shall have the
voter removed from the voting machine.
(5)(a) In order to cast a vote on a voting machine, a voter shall make a selection in a candidate or
proposition election. Voting is completed by activating the cast vote mechanism. If the voter has made any
selection in a candidate or proposition election but has failed to activate the cast vote mechanism, the
registrar or his deputy, observed by a deputy registrar or, in the absence of a deputy registrar, a witness, shall
activate the cast vote mechanism for the fled voter without altering any selections made by the voter. In the
case of vote activation in the presence of a witness, the registrar or deputy registrar shall record the name and
address of the witness.
(b)(i) In order to cast a vote on a paper ballot, a voter must make a selection for a candidate or for
or against a proposition by completely filling in the oval to the right of a selection and returning the ballot
to the appropriate election official within the applicable deadline set forth by law. If a voter makes selections
for more than the number of candidates to be elected for an office or makes selections for and against the
same proposition, the selections for that office or proposition will be void.
(ii) If the paper ballot includes a certificate, the voter shall not be required to sign the certificate.
The registrar of voters or deputy registrar shall write "early voting ballot" across the certificate and include
the voter's name, ward, precinct, and registration number and attach it to the early voting confirmation sheet
so that the ballot may be identified for purposes of a challenge filed pursuant to R.S. 18:1315.
(iii) If a voter determines that his ballot is spoiled because he wants to change or correct his vote
on the ballot before it is cast and counted but is unable to do so, he may obtain a replacement ballot upon
returning the spoiled ballot to the registrar or deputy registrar. The voter shall cast his vote as provided in
Item (i) of this Subparagraph using the replacement ballot. The registrar or deputy registrar shall write the
words "spoiled and replaced" on the ballot and attach it to the early voting confirmation sheet.
(6) If a person who votes during early voting at the registrar's office casts his vote on an incorrect
ballot as provided to him by the registrar or his deputy and the time for early voting has not expired, the
registrar or his deputy shall write "void, challenge removal" and the reason for the challenge on the
confirmation sheet, retain the confirmation sheet, and permit the voter to vote the correct ballot using a paper
ballot. The confirmation sheet shall be attached to the paper ballot envelope for review by the parish board
of election supervisors on election day and for use by the secretary of state's office in removing the voided
ballot from the voting machine as a challenged ballot on election day.
F.(1) At the end of each day during early voting, the registrar shall document on the early voting
verification form provided by the secretary of state for each early voting location each of the following:
(a) The total number for the public counters of all early voting machines for the day.
(b) The total number of early voting confirmation sheets for the day.
(c) The total number of early voters from the state voter registration computer system for the day.
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(d) Any discrepancies or irregularities observed that prevent the total public counter number from
matching the total early voting confirmation sheet number for the day and the total number of early voters
from the state voter registration computer system for the day.
(2) Each day, the registrar shall compare the information in the early voting confirmation sheets to
the information contained in the state voter registration computer system. If the registrar finds any
discrepancies, he shall make a note thereof on the early voting verification form or on a notice of irregularity
form provided by the secretary of state that he shall attach to the early voting verification form.
(3) At the end of the early voting period, the registrar shall complete the early voting verification
form for each location and sign and certify to its correctness and print an early voter report from the state
voter registration computer system listing all early voters from the parish. All early voting verification forms,
early voting machine public counter logs, early voting confirmation sheets, early voter reports, and paper
ballots voted during early voting shall be placed in the special, secure absentee by mail and early voting
container for delivery to the parish board of election supervisors on election day for the tabulation and
counting of early voting ballots.
G. By no later than the day before an election, the registrar shall have received from the branch
office and all early voting locations all early voting machine results cartridges, early voting confirmation
sheets, early voting verification forms, early voting machine public counter logs, paper ballot envelopes,
certificates, early voting lists or duplicate precinct registers, and other election paraphernalia.
H. Prior to delivery of the prec