The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana House Bill 359 voids votes for deceased unaffiliated candidates and adjusts general election ballot rules
Last action · June 3, 2026: Effective date: 06/03/2026.Sponsor: Beau Beaullieu
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
Louisiana House Bill 359 requires that if an dies after the and before polls close on general election day, their name must be removed from the ballot, and any votes cast for them are void and will not be counted.
Changes how ballots and votes are handled when an passes away after qualifying, directly impacting election administration and voters in races involving non-major party candidates.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
unaffiliated candidates
Their candidacy status and ballot presence are governed by new rules in the event of death after the qualifying period.
election administrators
Must ensure deceased unaffiliated candidates are removed from ballots and that any votes for them are voided.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if an unaffiliated candidate dies after qualifying for an election?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
36 actions- Jun 3, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 639.
- Jun 3, 2026HouseEffective date: 06/03/2026.
- Jun 2, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- Jun 1, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
- May 31, 2026HouseFloorConference Committee Report read, roll called, yeas 94, nays 0. The Conference Committee Report was adopted.
Show 30 earlier actions
- May 31, 2026SenateFloorNotice House adopted the Conference Committee Report.
- May 31, 2026SenateFloorConference Committee Report read; adopted by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays.
- May 31, 2026HouseNotice of Senate adoption of Conference Committee Report.
- May 27, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 05/31/2026.
- May 26, 2026SenateConference committee report received.
- May 26, 2026HouseConference Committee report received. Lies over under the rules.
- May 25, 2026HouseNotice of Senate conferees appointed.
- May 21, 2026SenateSenate conference committee members appointed: Reese, Cathey, and McMath.
- May 19, 2026HouseHouse conferees appointed: Beaullieu, Boudreaux, and Hebert.
- May 19, 2026SenateNotice House Conference Committee members appointed.
- May 13, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, returned to the calendar.
- May 13, 2026HouseCalled from the calendar.
- May 13, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, roll called, yeas 96, nays 0, Senate amendments rejected, conference committee appointment pending.
- May 13, 2026SenateNotice House rejected the Senate amendments.
- May 12, 2026HouseScheduled for concurrence on 05/13/2026.
- May 7, 2026SenateFloorRules 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.
- May 7, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate with amendments.
- Apr 28, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- Apr 27, 2026SenateFloorCommittee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- Apr 22, 2026SenateReported with amendments.
- Mar 31, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
- Mar 30, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 100, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Mar 30, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.
- Mar 25, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Mar 24, 2026HouseCommitteeReported favorably (11-0).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
- Feb 24, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 24, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance35How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools