Senate Bill 96 would clarify voter registration deadlines. Currently, Louisiana has two separate voter registration deadlines:
The deadline to register to vote in person, by mail or at the OMV Office is generally 30 days prior to the election.
The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is generally 20 days prior to the election.
To register through the GeauxVote portal, voters must have a Louisiana driver’s license or Louisiana special ID card that has the four-digit audit code on Louisiana IDs.
This legislation would update the law so that a person registering to vote in person at a Registrar of Voters Office who has a Louisiana ID and can provide the audit code would be eligible to register up to 20 days before an election instead of 30 days.
This updated legislation helps people who otherwise may not have access to a computer/internet or who need help navigating the online portal and can get assistance from staff at the Registrar of Voters. Registrar staff could assist voters in completing the online application to ensure there are no delays in transcribing information from a written form.
This bill would alleviate confusion regarding voter registration deadlines.