RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
HB 51 2020 Second Extraordinary Session Miguez
Present law provides relative to the payment of election costs, including costs of ballots and
election materials, of publication of the location of polling places, of renting polling places,
of drayage, of setting up voting machines, of compensating commissioners and deputy parish
custodians, of transmitting election returns, and of other election-related costs incurred by
registrars of voters, clerks of court, and the parish board of election supervisors. Present law
provides for payment of such costs by state and local governments.
Proposed law would have provided that, except as otherwise authorized by law, no state or
local official or agency responsible for conducting elections shall solicit, accept, use, or
dispose of any donation from individuals or corporations for the purpose of funding election
expenses during a declared state of emergency.
(Proposed to add R.S. 18:1400.10)
VETO MESSAGE: "Please be advised that I have vetoed House Bill 51 of the 2020 Second
Extraordinary Session.
House Bill 51 prohibits state and local officials from using private funds for election related
expenses during a declared state of emergency. Representative Blake Miguez stated in the
House and Governmental Affairs committee that House Bill 51 was intended to “clarify
existing law” about who is responsible for election-related expenses. In late September, the
Attorney General’s Office advised local election officials to not apply for a private grant
because they believed it could be contrary to state law. Neither the bill’s author nor the
Attorney General’s Office was able to point to the statutory conflict House Bill 51 is
purportedly intended to resolve.
The private grants in question are intended for local election officials to ensure the safety of
those voting in person during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Money from the
grant could have been used for personal protective equipment, polling place sanitization,
social distancing signs, etc. These funds are sorely needed by local election officials across
the state, as evidenced by the fact that the secretary of state encouraged them to apply for
these funds.
House Bill 51 is an unnecessary political ploy that only serves to threaten the safety of
polling places during a pandemic and increase the costs to taxpayers to administer safe
elections."