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HB359 • 2026

ELECTIONS/CANDIDATES: Provides relative to the death of a candidate for a party primary office who is not affiliated with a major political party (EGF NO IMPACT See Note)

ELECTIONS/CANDIDATES: Provides relative to the death of a candidate for a party primary office who is not affiliated with a major political party (EGF NO IMPACT See Note)

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Beau Beaullieu
Last action
2026-05-27
Official status
Conference Committee Report Read in House - Sched. for 5/31/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details on how election officials should remove names from ballots or recount votes.

Elections and Candidates: Rules for When a Candidate Dies

This bill sets rules about what happens if someone who is not part of a major political party dies after signing up to run in an election but before the voting day.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds new rules about candidates who are not affiliated with major parties and die after they sign up for an election.
  • If such a candidate dies, their name won't be on the ballot for the general election.
  • If the candidate's name is already printed on the ballot when they die, any votes received by them will not count.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Candidates in party primaries who are not affiliated with major political parties
  • Election officials responsible for managing ballots and vote counts

Terms To Know

Major Political Party
A well-known political group like the Democratic or Republican parties.
General Election
The main election where people choose their leaders, usually held in November.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if a candidate from a major political party dies.
  • Does not explain how to handle ballots that have already been printed with the deceased candidate's name.
  • The bill does not include details on how votes are recounted or who is responsible for removing names from ballots.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: SSHB359 4311 5259 HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS HB 359 2026 Regular Session Beaullieu ELECTIONS/CANDIDATES: Provides relative to the death of a candidate for a party primary office who is not affiliated with a major political party Synopsis of Senate Amendments 1.

  • SSHB359 4311 5259 HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS HB 359 2026 Regular Session Beaullieu ELECTIONS/CANDIDATES: Provides relative to the death of a candidate for a party primary office who is not affiliated with a major political party Synopsis of Senate Amendments 1.
  • Provides that when a major party candidate qualifies for the general election in a special election held to fill an unexpired term and there are no other remaining candidates for the general election then the qualified candidate is declared elected by the people and shall be certified.
  • 2.
  • Provides for effectiveness.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment rejects all Senate amendments to HB359, which is a bill about what happens when a candidate who isn't part of a major political party dies before a primary election.

  • Rejects all changes made by the Senate to HB359.
  • The amendment does not provide details on what specific Senate amendments were rejected, only that they are being rejected in their entirety.
Adopted

Plain English: SFAHB359 539 2774 SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senator Reese to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SFAHB359 539 2774 SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senator Reese to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 359 by Representative Beaullieu 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, below line 18, add the following: 3 "Section 2.
  • This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor 4 or, if not signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law 5 without signature by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the 6 Constitution of Louisiana.
Adopted

Plain English: SCAHB359 4869 2526 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB359 4869 2526 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 359 by Representative Beaullieu 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 2, after "18:410.8(C)", insert "and 410.9(C)" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, line 9, delete the line and insert the following: 5 "Section 1.
Draft

Plain English: SCAHB359 4869 2483 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB359 4869 2483 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 359 by Representative Beaullieu 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 2, after "18:410.8(C)", insert "and 410.9(C)" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, line 9, delete the line and insert the following: 5 "Section 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-27 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 05/31/2026.

  2. 2026-05-26 H

    Conference Committee report received. Lies over under the rules.

  3. 2026-05-26 S

    Conference committee report received.

  4. 2026-05-25 H

    Notice of Senate conferees appointed.

  5. 2026-05-21 S

    Senate conference committee members appointed: Reese, Cathey, and McMath.

  6. 2026-05-19 S

    Notice House Conference Committee members appointed.

  7. 2026-05-19 H

    House conferees appointed: Beaullieu, Boudreaux, and Hebert.

  8. 2026-05-13 S

    Notice House rejected the Senate amendments.

  9. 2026-05-13 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 96, nays 0, Senate amendments rejected, conference committee appointment pending.

  10. 2026-05-13 H

    Called from the calendar.

  11. 2026-05-13 H

    Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  12. 2026-05-12 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/13/2026.

  13. 2026-05-07 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  14. 2026-05-07 S

    Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  15. 2026-04-28 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  16. 2026-04-27 S

    Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  17. 2026-04-22 S

    Reported with amendments.

  18. 2026-03-31 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.

  19. 2026-03-30 S

    Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  20. 2026-03-30 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 100, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  21. 2026-03-26 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.

  22. 2026-03-25 H

    Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  23. 2026-03-24 H

    Reported favorably (11-0).

  24. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

  25. 2026-02-27 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

  26. 2026-02-24 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

  27. 2026-02-24 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

ELECTIONS/CANDIDATES: Provides relative to the death of a candidate for a party primary office who is not affiliated with a major political party (EGF NO IMPACT See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-595 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 359
BY REPRESENTATIVE BEAULLIEU
ELECTIONS/CANDIDATES: Provides relative to the death of a candidate for a party
primary office who is not affiliated with a major political party
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 18:410.8(C), relative to candidates who are not affiliated with a major political
3 party; to provide for qualifying for the general election for a party primary office;
4 to provide for the death of a candidate following the close of the qualifying period;
5 to provide for the removal of the deceased candidate's name from the ballot; to
6 provide relative to the counting of votes under certain circumstances; and to provide
7 for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 18:410.8(C) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §410.8. Candidates not affiliated with a major political party; qualifying for the
11 general election; death of a candidate
12 * * *
13 C. If a person who qualified as a candidate pursuant to this Section dies after
14 the close of the qualifying period and before the time for closing the polls on the day
15 of the general election, the name of the deceased candidate shall not be printed on
16 the general election ballot. If the general election ballot was printed with the
17 deceased candidate's name on it, any votes received by the deceased candidate shall
18 be void and shall not be counted for any purpose whatsoever.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-595 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 359
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 359 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Beaullieu
Abstract: Provides relative to the death of a candidate who is not affiliated with a major
political party after the close of the qualifying period.
Present law provides for qualifying for the general election for a party primary office for
candidates not affiliated with a major political party. Provides for who is allowed to sign the
nominating petition for a candidate not affiliated with a major political party.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law provides that if a person qualifies as a candidate pursuant to present law and
subsequently dies after the close of the qualifying period, the candidate's name shall not be
printed on the general election ballot. Provides that if the deceased candidate's name is
printed on the ballot, any votes received for the deceased candidate shall be void and shall
not be counted for any purpose.
(Adds R.S. 18:410.8(C))
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.