SUBPART F. PROVISIONAL VOTING
§566. Provisional voting for federal office; polling place and early voting
A. In an election for federal office, when an applicant's name does not appear on the
precinct register and the registrar of voters or secretary of state has not authorized the
applicant to vote by precinct register correction affidavit as provided in R.S. 18:562, or the
commissioners assert that the applicant is not eligible to vote, and the applicant declares
himself to be a registered voter and eligible to vote in the election for federal office, the
applicant may cast a provisional ballot for candidates for federal office.
B. The procedure for provisional voting for federal office at a polling place shall be
as follows:
(1) The applicant shall first fill in the blanks on the provisional ballot envelope and
sign the included certificate in the presence of a commissioner attesting that the applicant is
a registered voter in the parish and is eligible to vote in the election for federal office. The
applicant shall then sign the precinct register on the page marked "Provisional Voters". The
commissioner shall record the provisional ballot number on the certificate and then shall
provide the applicant the provisional ballot envelope and the provisional ballot listing the
federal offices. The applicant shall then mark the provisional ballot according to the printed
instructions on its face, place the ballot in the provisional ballot envelope, seal the envelope,
and return the provisional ballot envelope to the commissioner. The applicant shall be
allowed to mark the provisional ballot in an area and in a manner that protects the secrecy
of his vote. The commissioner shall place the provisional ballot envelope inside the
envelope marked "Provisional Ballot". The "Provisional Ballot" envelope shall be returned
to the registrar of voters, in care of the clerk of court, on election night.
(2) The commissioner shall provide an applicant who casts a provisional ballot with
written instructions for how the applicant may ascertain whether the provisional vote was
counted, and, if the provisional vote was not counted, the reason the vote was not counted.
C. In an election for federal office during the period of early voting, when an
applicant's name does not appear on the precinct register and the registrar of voters has not
authorized the applicant to vote, or the registrar or deputy registrar asserts that the applicant
is not eligible to vote, and the applicant declares himself to be a registered voter and eligible
to vote in the election for federal office, the applicant shall be permitted to cast an early
voting provisional ballot for candidates for federal office.
D. The procedure for provisional voting for federal office during the period of early
voting shall be as follows:
(1) The applicant shall first fill in the blanks on the provisional ballot envelope and
sign the included certificate in the presence of the registrar or deputy registrar attesting that
the applicant is a registered voter in the parish and is eligible to vote in the election for
federal office. The applicant shall then sign the precinct register on the page marked
"Provisional Voters". If the applicant is voting at a branch office of the registrar, the
applicant shall be required to sign and date a register for early voting provisional voters kept
by the registrar prior to voting by provisional ballot. The registrar or deputy registrar shall
record the provisional ballot number on the certificate and then shall provide the applicant
the provisional ballot envelope and the provisional ballot listing the federal offices. The
applicant shall then mark the provisional ballot according to the printed instructions on its
face, place the ballot in the provisional ballot envelope, seal the envelope, and return the
provisional ballot envelope to the registrar or deputy registrar. The applicant shall be allowed
to mark the provisional ballot in an area and in a manner that protects the secrecy of his vote.
The registrar or deputy registrar shall place the provisional ballot envelope inside the
envelope marked "Early Voting Provisional Ballot".
(2) The registrar or deputy registrar shall provide an applicant who casts an early
voting provisional ballot with written instructions for how the applicant may ascertain
whether the provisional vote was counted, and, if the provisional vote was not counted, the
reason the vote was not counted.
Acts 2003, No. 423, §1, eff. Jan 1, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 526, §2, eff. June 25, 2004;
Acts 2005, No. 220, §4, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2018, No. 584, §2; Acts 2023, No. 91, §1, eff.
June 6, 2023.