Louisiana § 18:1461 Bribery of voters; penalties

Louisiana Statutes

§ 18:1461 — Bribery of voters; penalties

Louisiana § 18:1461

Title 18Conservation

This text of Louisiana § 18:1461 (Bribery of voters; penalties) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

La. Stat. Ann. § 18:1461 (2026).

Text

§1461. Bribery of voters; penalties A.

(1)Bribery of voters is the giving or offering to give, directly or indirectly, any money, or anything of apparent present or prospective value, to any voter at any election, or at any convention of a recognized political party, with the intent to influence the voter in the casting of his ballot. The acceptance of, or the offer to accept, directly or indirectly, any money, or anything of apparent present or prospective value, by any such voters under such circumstances shall also constitute bribery of voters.

(2)Bribery of voters is also the giving or offering to give, directly or indirectly, any money or anything of apparent present or prospective value to secure or influence registration of a person or to secure or influence a person to sign or not

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§1461. Bribery of voters; penalties
A.(1) Bribery of voters is the giving or offering to give, directly or indirectly, any
money, or anything of apparent present or prospective value, to any voter at any election, or
at any convention of a recognized political party, with the intent to influence the voter in the
casting of his ballot. The acceptance of, or the offer to accept, directly or indirectly, any
money, or anything of apparent present or prospective value, by any such voters under such
circumstances shall also constitute bribery of voters.
(2) Bribery of voters is also the giving or offering to give, directly or indirectly, any
money or anything of apparent present or prospective value to secure or influence registration
of a person or to secure or influence a person to sign or not sign a recall or other election
petition.
B. Whoever violates any provision of this Section shall be fined not more than four
thousand dollars or be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years,
or both, for the first offense. On a second offense, or any subsequent offense, the penalty
shall be a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisonment at hard labor for not
more than five years, or both.
C. In the trial of persons charged with bribery of voters either the bribe-giver or the
bribe-taker may give evidence, or make affidavit against the other, and may receive immunity
from prosecution in favor of the first informer, except for perjury in giving such testimony.
D. In addition to any other penalty imposed pursuant to this Section, the court may
order restitution as a part of the sentence. Restitution may include payment for any costs
incurred, including reasonable attorney fees, by a candidate who brought an action contesting
an election wherein the court found that one or more of the votes cast in the contested
election were illegal based on the actions of the defendant and the court changed the result
of the election or ordered a new election to be held.

Legislative History

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1980, No. 786, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1981; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 10, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 353, §1; Acts 1997, No. 594, §1; Acts 1997, No. 752, §1; Acts 1999, No. 985, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1181, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2002; Acts 2004, No. 889, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2005; Acts 2005, No. 431, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2006, No. 560, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2009, No. 436, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 797, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2015, No. 347, §1; Acts 2019, No. 399, §1; Acts 2024, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 1, §1, eff. See Act; Acts 2024, No. 640, §2, eff. See Act; Acts 2025, No. 386, §§ 3, 7, eff. June 20, 2025 .