Louisiana elections board clears technical omnibus for 2026, removes two provisions
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Summary
The State Board of Election Supervisors reviewed the Department of State's draft omnibus elections bill for the 2026 Legislature, removed items 7 and 37 from the omnibus, and approved the remaining technical changes including payroll timing for registrars, clarifications on "unaffiliated" voters, and expanded in-person voting at nursing homes.
The Louisiana State Board of Election Supervisors on Feb. 5 reviewed the Department of State's proposed omnibus elections legislation for the 2026 regular legislative session and approved a package of technical changes after removing two provisions from the omnibus.
The board, chaired by Secretary of State Nancy Landry, heard brief, item-by-item technical summaries from First Assistant Secretary of State Katherine Newsom and Deputy Commissioner of Elections Lainie (Laney) Boyd. Landry described the presentation as “simply a preliminary review of what will ultimately be the Department of State's omnibus legislation,” saying the package is intended mainly for technical updates rather than heavily debated policy.
The board approved provisions 1 through 6, 8 through 36, and 38 and 39 by voice vote after a motion from Commissioner Sherry Hatzke and a second from Clerk Hannah; no roll-call tally was recorded. The approved items include: allowing parish portions of registrars of voters (ROV) salaries and staff pay to be paid biweekly, semimonthly or monthly to match parish payroll schedules; closing a loophole to prohibit part-time parish ROV employees from running for public office; clarifying that voters who write “unaffiliated” intend the ‘‘no party’’ designation and will be converted in the voter file; technical database updates for inter-parish registration transfers; expanded flexibility for updating registration information between primaries and the general election; and measures to help disabled voters who cannot sign ballots.
Newsom summarized item 1: “This clarifies that the parish portion of the ROV salary and their staff salary can be paid biweekly, semi monthly, or monthly depending on the parish's regularly scheduled salary payments.” She also described the range of largely technical corrections and consistency edits across the election code.
Board members pressed staff for specificity on several provisions. On protections for pre-registrants, staff clarified that a seven-day timing reference was intended to mean seven days before an election so advance registrants are included in precinct registers. On assistance for voters who cannot sign, Deputy Commissioner Boyd explained the provision focuses on allowing a voter who cannot make a mark to have an alternative means to sign, not general voting assistance: “The distinction is not so much providing assistance with voting. It's having someone else sign on the voter's behalf,” Boyd said.
A substantive disagreement arose over a proposed provision (item 37) that would have authorized the Secretary of State to bring an election contest based on irregularities reported by an election official on or before election day. Board member Erin Guidry said the measure went beyond the omnibus' technical scope and urged removing it: “...the omnibus bill is meant to bring, like, technical changes to the election code, and I think this is more than that,” Guidry said. Staff acknowledged the concern and removed item 37 from the omnibus.
Item 18, which requires "actual notice" to the Secretary of State when a candidate dies before an election so statutory deadlines can be met, prompted questions about what constitutes sufficient notice. Clerk Hannah asked if a clerk's phone call would be enough. Commissioner Sherry Hatzke said a clerk's notification is sufficient to start the process and the department typically obtains written verification afterward: “But her notification or the clerk's notification to us is enough for us to start the process of opening qualifying the next day,” Hatzke said.
Other specific changes approved include extending the period for in-person voting in nursing homes from the last day of early voting to four days before election day, allowing the Secretary of State to use procurement methods under the Louisiana procurement code for drayage contracts near elections, aligning challenge processes for early and election-day voters, and clarifying timing rules for filing election contests tied to constitutional amendments.
Landry closed the meeting after confirming no public-comment cards had been submitted at the hearing. The board approved the omnibus provisions and adjourned.
What happens next: the Department of State's omnibus provisions will be carried into the 2026 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature for committee consideration and public hearings, where additional commentary and amendments may be offered.
