§ 18:176 — Suspension and cancellation of registration and challenge of unlawful registration on

§176. Suspension and cancellation of registration and challenge of unlawful registration on
the basis of reports
A.(1) The registrar shall send a notice to each person listed on a report received
pursuant to R.S. 18:171 or 171.1 and to any person the registrar has reason to believe is
ineligible to register or vote pursuant to R.S. 18:102(A)(1). The notice shall be mailed first
class, postage prepaid, to the address on file at the registrar's office.
(2) The notice shall state that the registrar has information that the registrant is under
an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony and that the conviction is for an election
offense or the registrant has been incarcerated pursuant to the order within the last five years.
The notice shall inform the person that he must appear in person at the office of the registrar
of voters within twenty-one days after the date on which the notice was mailed to show cause
why his registration should not be suspended.
(3)(a) If the registrant appears and shows cause within the twenty-one days, the
registrar shall not suspend the registration.
(b) If the registrant fails to appear within the required twenty-one days, the registrar
shall suspend the registration in the state voter registration computer system and, if
necessary, by drawing in red ink a line through the registrant's name on the precinct register
and the duplicate precinct register. Such line shall be initialed by the registrar or employee
of the registrar. The registrar shall note in the registrant's information on the state voter
registration computer system and, if the original application is available in hard copy in the
registrar's office, on the original application for registration that the registrar has been
notified of an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony which makes the registrant
ineligible to register or vote pursuant to R.S. 18:102(A)(1), and he shall note also the date
of the suspension and the date of the report, when applicable. If the original application is
available in hard copy in the registrar's office, the registrar shall remove the original
application from his file of eligible voters and shall place it in his suspension file. In
addition, each person whose registration is suspended under this Subsection shall
immediately be notified of the suspension and the reason therefor.
(4) A list of names and addresses of the notices sent under this Subsection and
whether or not each registrant responded to such notice shall be maintained for a period of
two years and shall be open to inspection and copying as provided in R.S. 18:154.
B. Upon receipt of the report required by R.S. 18:172, the registrar shall suspend the
registration of the interdict for the period of interdiction. The registrar shall suspend the
registration of each person listed on the report in the state voter registration computer system
and, if necessary, by drawing in red ink a line through the name of such person on the
precinct register and the duplicate precinct register. Such line shall be initialed by the
registrar or employee of the registrar. The registrar shall note in the registrant's information
on the state voter registration computer system and, if the original application is available in
hard copy in the registrar's office, on the original application for registration that the registrar
has been notified of an order of a judgment of interdiction, and he shall note also the date of
the suspension and the date of the report. If the original application is available in hard copy
in the registrar's office, the registrar shall remove the original application from his file of
eligible voters and shall place it in his suspension file. In addition, each person whose
registration is suspended under this Subsection shall immediately be notified of the
suspension and the reason therefor.
C. Immediately upon receipt of a report required by R.S. 18:173, the registrar shall
cancel the registration of each person listed on the report in the state voter registration
computer system and, if necessary, by drawing in red ink a line through the name of such
person on the precinct register and the duplicate precinct register. Such line shall be initialed
by the registrar or employee of the registrar. The registrar shall note in the registrant's
information on the state voter registration computer system and, if the original application
is available in hard copy in the registrar's office, on the original application for registration
that the registrar has received a report of death, and he shall note the date of the cancellation
and the date of the report. If the original application is available in hard copy in the
registrar's office, the registrar shall remove the original application from his file of eligible
voters and shall place it in his cancellation file.
D. Repealed by Acts 2017, No. 176, §5, eff. June 14, 2017.
E. If the registrar determines that a voter's registration has been suspended or
cancelled through error of the registrar, the registrar shall reinstate the voter's registration as
though the suspension or cancellation had never occurred and shall notify the registrant of
the reinstatement.

Legislative History

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1979, No. 229, §1, eff. July 13, 1979; Acts 1987, No. 831, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1988, No. 909, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 10, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 1420, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; Acts 2009, No. 186, §2, eff. June 29, 2009; Acts 2017, No. 176, §5, eff. June 14, 2017; Acts 2021, No. 127, §1, eff. Feb. 1, 2022.