§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 and 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 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 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 and mail the notice of registration required by R.S. 18:109 to the applicant at his address outside 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.

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.