Signed by Governor John Bel Edwards

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes that a person with a felony conviction can register and vote if the person has not been incarcerated within the last five years and was not convicted of a felony offense of election fraud or any other election offense.

Highlights:

• Defines "incarcerated pursuant to the order" as actual confinement in a correctional facility according to the order of imprisonment, including confinement after conviction but before sentencing for which the person is given credit in the order and confinement following revocation of probation or parole. "Incarcerated pursuant to the order" does not include confinement under a violation of a condition of probation or parole that does not result in revocation (Sec. 1.C).

• Specifies if requested, the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or his authorized representative will provide information to a registrar of voters regarding a person who is under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony, including whether the person is under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony offense of election fraud or any other election offense and whether the person has been incarcerated according to the order within the last 5 years (Sec. §171.B-2).

• Requires the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to send to the Department of State a report, certified as correct over his signature or the signature of his authorized representative, containing the name, date of birth, sex, and address as such information exists in the database of any person currently under the custody or supervision of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. who meets either of the following (Sec. §171.C-1):

• The person is under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony and has been incarcerated pursuant to the order within the last 5 years;

• The person is under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony offense of election fraud or any other election offense.

• Requires each United States attorney to give written notice to the secretary of state of any felony conviction of a person in a district court of the United States for which there is an order of imprisonment and for which the person is incarcerated according to the order (Sec. §171.1.A-1).

• Requires the registrar to send a notice to each person listed on a report and to any person the registrar has reason to believe is ineligible to register or vote (Sec. §176.A-1).

• Requires the notice to 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 according to the order within the last 5 years. The notice will inform the person that he must appear in person at the office of the registrar of voters within 21 days after the date on which the notice was mailed to show cause why his registration should not be suspended (Sec. §176.A-2).

• Requires the registrar to 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 (Sec. §176.A-3.b).

Full Bill Text