A slew of laws quietly passed during the most recent Louisiana legislative session will make rules surrounding absentee voting more strict during the upcoming November election and beyond.
The changes are most likely to impact voters with disabilities and could also affect Democrats, who are more likely to vote by mail than their Republican counterparts.
Though Louisiana has a strong election security system, Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said the changes would "bring us closer to being ranked first in the nation for election integrity."
But critics say the laws amount to voter suppression, and a lawsuit has been filed alleging the rules will harm disabled voters. Also of concern is how the changes will impact those assisting elderly or disabled voters in filling out their ballots.
What are the new rules?
Many of the new election rules center around witnessing and submitting ballots. Three new laws, Acts 380, 302 and 321, will be in effect for the upcoming November election.
And next year, additional regulations to applying for absentee voting, laid out in Act 317 and 712, will take effect.
Here are the new rules for the upcoming election:
- Voters are only allowed to send one absentee ballot in for themselves and one non-family member. A person can send additional ballots in only if they are for an immediate family member.
- No one besides an immediate family member or an employee of the registrar's office can help more than one voter fill out their absentee ballot.
- Any absentee ballot missing any required information is able to be challenged. If the challenge is sustained, the vote will not be counted.
These are additional rules for future elections, starting next year:
- No one, except an immediate family member of the voter, can submit more than one mail-in ballot application.
- Disabled voters and those over 65 must submit new absentee voter applications every four years.
- No person or organization is allowed to hand out application forms to vote absentee by mail to anyone who has not requested the form.
- It is a criminal offense for a person to witness more than one absentee ballot if they are not a family member of the voter.
- Witnesses signing absentee ballots must be over the age of 18 and must provide their address. If an address isn't provided, the ballot can be challenged.
How can I cast an absentee ballot?
In Louisiana, voters can only qualify to cast a ballot by mail if they meet certain conditions. Those who qualify to cast an absentee ballot include:
- military or overseas citizens
- senior citizens (65+)
- voters with disabilities
- students and professors
- religious clergy
- voters who will be absent during early voting and election day
- voters who moved to a new parish more than 100 miles from their former residence within 30 days of election
- people involuntarily confined to institution
- sequestered jurors
- voters who are hospitalized or who expect to be hospitalized during early voting and election day
- people in nursing homes
- voters working offshore
- voters incarcerated for a non-felony who have the sheriff's certification
- participants in the state's address confidentiality program
If you qualify and want to vote by mail, you must submit an application that will be reviewed by state election officials. You can request an online application on the Louisiana Voter Portal website, or you can print and mail an application directly to your registrar of voters.
Most absentee applications must be received by the state by 4:30 p.m. four days before an election. Applications from people who are in the military, overseas or hospitalized must be received by 4:30 p.m. the day before an election.
Once you are approved, you'll receive several documents in the mail when the election approaches, including an official ballot for the election, an affidavit envelope to certify your vote, a return envelope and a list of instructions.
Absentee ballots, whether sent by mail, fax or hand delivery, must be in to the parish registrar's office by 4:30 p.m. the day before election day. Absentee voters who are in the military, overseas or hospitalized have an extension, but must submit them by 8 p.m. on election day.
If your ballot is turned in without your signature or the signature of a witness, or with incomplete affidavit information, it will be considered deficient.
If your mail-in ballot is missing information, the voter registrars office should contact you. But absentee voters will only get the chance to correct a ballot if it's sent in early enough.
Voters can find more information on the Secretary of State's website.
Editor's note: A new rule requiring witnesses to be 18 and older and provide their address goes into effect July 2025, not before the next election. The story has been update.
