§ 18:103 — Personal appearance of applicant required; exceptions

Louisiana § 18:103

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 18: Conservation

Text

§103. Personal appearance of applicant required; exceptions
A. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, any person who meets the
qualifications for voter registration and desires to register as an elector shall apply to do so
by making application in person to a registrar or deputy registrar of the parish in which he
seeks to register, by submission of the federal postcard application form as authorized in this
Code, by application through the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, by
application through designated voter registration agencies, electronically on the secretary of
state's website if the person has a valid Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special
identification card issued pursuant to R.S. 40:1321, or by mail using the national mail voter
registration form as promulgated by the United States Election Assistance Commission, the
state mail voter registration form, or a computer-generated form thereof containing the same
requests for information as prescribed by R.S. 18:104 or as contained on the national mail
voter registration form.
B. Any citizen of Louisiana who meets the qualifications set forth in R.S. 18:101 and
who is a legal resident of this state, whether or not he has a place of abode in this state, but
who is unable to appear in person to register because he is in the United States Service, as
defined in R.S. 18:1302, may register by mail using the state mail voter registration form in
accordance with the following provisions:
(1) The applicant shall mail or transmit electronically a written request to register to
the registrar of the parish of which he was a resident prior to entry into the United States
Service.
(2) Upon receipt of the request, the registrar shall mail to the applicant at his United
States Service address or transmit electronically to the applicant the application form for
registration.
(3) Upon receipt of the document, the applicant shall:
(a) Complete the application form, including the applicant's handwritten signature.
(b) Return the document by mail, facsimile, or other means of transmission to the
registrar.
(4) Upon receipt of the completed document, the registrar shall, if the evidence
establishes that the applicant meets the requirements for registration, register the applicant.
The Department of State shall mail the notice of registration required by R.S. 18:109 to the
applicant at his United States Service address.
(5) Nothing in this Subsection shall deny to any person in the United States Service
the right to register in person as set forth in this Chapter.
C. A person who meets the qualifications set forth in R.S. 18:101(E) who is unable
to appear in person to register because he is residing outside of the United States may register
by mail using the state mail voter registration form in accordance with the following
provisions:
(1) The applicant shall mail or transmit electronically a written request to register to
the registrar of the parish in which he was last domiciled immediately prior to his departure
from the United States.
(2) Upon receipt of such request, the registrar shall mail to the applicant at his
address outside of the United States or transmit electronically to the applicant the application
form for registration.
(3) Upon receipt of the document, the applicant shall:
(a) Complete the application form, including the applicant's handwritten signature.
(b) Return the document by mail, facsimile, or other means of transmission to the
registrar.
(4) Upon receipt of the completed document, the registrar shall, if the evidence
establishes that the applicant meets the requirements for registration, register the applicant.
The Department of State shall mail the notice of registration required by R.S. 18:109 to the
applicant at his address outside of the United States.
(5) Nothing in this Subsection shall deny to any person residing outside the United
States the right to register in person as provided in this Chapter.
D. Nothing in this Section shall deny to any member of the United States Service,
as defined in R.S. 18:1302, or to any person residing outside of the United States, the right
to submit the Federal Post Card Application or the national voter registration form, in lieu
of the application provided for in this Section, for purposes of registering to vote. Such a
registrant shall not be required to complete or sign the Federal Post Card Application or the
national voter registration form in the presence of a person who is authorized to administer
oaths or otherwise to obtain the signature of a person who is authorized to administer oaths
on said application. The Federal Post Card Application or the national voter registration
form may be transmitted to the registrar of voters by mail, facsimile, or other means of
transmission.

Legislative History

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 544, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 229, §1, eff. July 13, 1979; Acts 1984, No. 672, §1; Acts 1985, No. 754, §2; Acts 1986, No. 669, §1; Acts 1986, No. 425, §1; Acts 1987, No. 746, §1; Acts 1988, No. 909, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1993, No. 418, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 10, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1995; Acts 2001, No. 1032, §7; Acts 2003, No. 1220, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Acts 2009, No. 187, §1, eff. April 1, 2010; Acts 2009, No. 369, §1; Acts 2010, No. 624, §1, eff. June 25, 2010; Acts 2011, No. 195, §1, eff. June 24, 2011; Acts 2023, No. 91, §1, eff. June 6, 2023.