RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 712 (HB 581) 2024 Regular Session Thomas
New law provides that whenever a document required by or provided for in the La. Election
Code is required to be witnessed, the witness shall be at least 18 years old. Requires a
witness signing an absentee by mail certificate to provide a mailing address.
Existing law provides that during the preparation and verification process for the counting
of absentee by mail and early voting ballots before an election or on election day, any
candidate or his representative, member of the parish board of elections supervisors, or
qualified elector may challenge an absentee by mail or early voting ballot for cause, other
than grounds specified in existing law. New law specifies that failure to include a witness's
mailing address on an absentee ballot certificate shall not be grounds to challenge an
absentee by mail ballot.
Existing law (R.S. 18:1306) prohibits a person, except an immediate family member of the
voter, from witnessing more than one certificate of a voter. Existing law (R.S. 18:2) defines
immediate family member as the individual's children, the spouses of his children, his
brothers and their spouses, his sisters and their spouses, his parents, his spouse, and the
parents of his spouse.
New law provides for the specific election offense of knowingly, willfully, or intentionally
witnessing more than one certificate of a voter who is not an immediate family member in
violation of existing law (R.S. 18:1306).
Existing law provides that a person who violates existing law relative to certain types of
election offenses shall be fined not more than $1,000 or be imprisoned for not more than one
year, or both. On a second offense, or any subsequent offense, the penalty shall be a fine of
not more than $2,500 or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both. Violations of
new law are subject to the existing law penalties.
Effective July 1, 2025.
(Amends R.S. 18:1315(B); Adds R.S. 18:4 and 1461.7(A)(7))


Statutes affected:
HB581 Original:
HB581 Enrolled: 18:1315(B)
HB581 Act 712: 18:1315(B)