ELECTION OFFENSES: Provides for election offenses

Elections Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Polly Thomas
Last action: 2026-05-15
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 163
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Official source material did not provide specific details about the penalties, only that they are provided for.

Election Offenses Law

This law makes it illegal to photograph or record voter registration information in precinct registers, except for certain election workers.

What This Bill Does

Makes it against the law to photograph or record voter registration details in precinct registers.
Allows specific election officials and employees to take photos or records of voter information while doing their job.

Who It Names or Affects

People who try to take pictures or recordings of voter registration information at polling places
Election workers like clerks, commissioners, registrars, and the secretary of state

Terms To Know

Precinct registers: Books or digital records where voter information is kept during elections.
Election officials: People who work at polling places to help run the election, like clerks and commissioners.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only applies when someone takes photos or records of voter information in precinct registers.
It does not specify penalties for breaking this new rule.

Amendments

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

House Floor Amendment #2894 Thomas Polly Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB547 4311 2894 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Thomas to Engrossed House Bill No.

HFAHB547 4311 2894 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Thomas to Engrossed House Bill No.
547 by Representative Thomas 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 2, after "To enact" and before "relative to" delete "R.S.
18:1461.2(A)(11)," 3 and insert "R.S.

House Committee Amendment #2436 H&G Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB547 4311 2436 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB547 4311 2436 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Original House Bill No.
547 by Representative Thomas 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 13, delete "registers." and insert the following: 3 "registers, except while performing his duties as a clerk of court or an employee of 4 a clerk, an election day or early voting commissioner, a registrar of voters or an 5 employee of a registrar, or the secretary of state or an employee of the secretary of 6 state." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

House Committee Amendment #1849 H&G Draft

Draft

Plain English: HCAHB547 4311 1849 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB547 4311 1849 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Original House Bill No.
547 by Representative Thomas 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 13, delete "registers." and insert the following: 3 "registers, except while performing his duties as a clerk of court or an employee of 4 a clerk, an election day or early voting commissioner, a registrar of voters or an 5 employee of a registrar, or the secretary of state or an employee of the secretary of 6 state." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Bill History

2026-05-15 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-15 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 163.
2026-05-13 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-13 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-12 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-11 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-11 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-28 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-27 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-22 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-07 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
2026-04-01 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-31 H
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 92, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-30 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/31/2026.
2026-03-26 H
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-25 H
Reported with amendments (7-6).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-26 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-26 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

ELECTION OFFENSES: Provides for election offenses

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 1632026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 547
BY REPRESENTATIVES THOMAS AND AMEDEE
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 18:1461.3(C)(5), relative to election offenses; to provide that no person shall
3 knowingly, willfully, or intentionally photograph, record, or otherwise reproduce
4 voter registration information in precinct registers; to provide for penalties; and to
5 provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 18:1461.3(C)(5) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §1461.3. Election offenses affecting election officials or watchers; penalties
9 * * *
10 C. No person shall knowingly, willfully, or intentionally:
11 * * *
12 (5) Photograph, record, or otherwise reproduce voter registration information
13 in precinct registers, except while performing his duties as a clerk of court or an
14 employee of a clerk, an election day or early voting commissioner, a registrar of
15 voters or an employee of a registrar, or the secretary of state or an employee of the
16 secretary of state.
17 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 1 of 1
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.