The bill amends and reenacts specific provisions of Louisiana's election law, particularly R.S. 18:1315(C)(3)(a) and 1317, to enhance the reporting and documentation processes related to absentee by mail and early voting ballots. It establishes that if a challenge to a ballot is upheld, the board must not only mark the ballot as "rejected" but also record the reason for the rejection in the state voter registration computer system. Additionally, the board is required to notify the voter of the challenge and its cause within four business days, using a form provided by the secretary of state.

Furthermore, the bill mandates the secretary of state to create uniform rules for reviewing and addressing deficiencies in absentee ballots. It requires the maintenance of records for all rejected ballots, including detailed statistics on the number of rejections and their reasons, which must be published on the secretary of state's website as part of post-election data. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
SB384 Original: 18:104(B), 18:562(A)(2), 18:1306(E)(1), 18:1307(A), 18:1309(D)(1)
SB384 Engrossed: 18:1309(D)(1)
SB384 Enrolled: 18:1315(C)(3)
SB384 Act 521: 18:1315(C)(3)