§135. Close of registration

A.(1) Registrars shall close the registration records thirty days prior to an election. However, if the deadline falls on a legal holiday, the registrars shall close the registration records on the first day after such holiday which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday.

(2)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, if because of an emergency as declared by the governor or by the parish president the registrar is unable to open at least one office in the parish on the day on which the registration records are to be closed pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the registrar shall not close the registration records on that day. In such case, the registrar shall close the registration records on the first business day thereafter that the registrar opens an office in the parish, and an application for any entry or change in a registration received by the registrar on this day shall be deemed to have been received as of the day the registration records were to be closed pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.

(b) The registrar shall notify the secretary of state as soon as possible upon determining that the registrar will be unable to open at least one office in the parish on the day on which the registration records are to be closed pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.

(c) This Paragraph shall not apply if the registrar fails to open an office before the twentieth day prior to the day of the election. In such case, the registration records shall be considered to have been closed as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.

(d) For purposes of this Paragraph, "parish president" means the president of any parish, mayor-president, mayor of New Orleans, or police jury president.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, registrars shall close the registration records twenty days prior to an election for a person who makes application pursuant to R.S. 18:115.1 to register to vote or to make changes to an existing registration and who has been informed, pursuant to R.S. 18:115.1(C)(4)(b), that his application has been electronically forwarded to the appropriate registrar of voters.

B. Except as otherwise provided by law, no entries or changes in the registration records shall be made thereafter except:

(1) To carry into effect at any time prior to the date of the election an order of a court in the case of an application and appeal heard and determined as provided for in this Title.

(2) Repealed by Act 1988, No. 909, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1989.

(3) To effect cancellations and erasures as required or authorized by this Chapter.

C. Except as otherwise provided by law, while the registration records are closed as required by Subsection A of this Section, registrars shall accept any application for registration, change of address, change of party affiliation or nonaffiliation, change of name, or application for any other lawful entry or change in a registration, but none of these shall be effective until at least the day after the election has been held.

Acts 1983, No. 519, §1, eff. July 8, 1983; Acts 1987, No. 831, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1988, No. 909, §§1, 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1990, No. 107, §2, eff. Dec. 1, 1990; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 10, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1995; Acts 1999, No. 1381, §1; Acts 2009, No. 181, §1; Acts 2016, No. 183, §1, eff. Feb. 1, 2017.