Voting Access
Supreme Court ruling on Voting Rights Act opened floodgates for new restrictions
It hadn’t even been a day since the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled one of the pillars of voting rights in America, and North Carolina lawmakers weren’t wasting any time. Republican legislators had been contemplating a bill that would require photo identification to vote. The bill had plenty of support, but it had spent the past […]
Voter fraud myth persists despite constant failure to prove claims
TOPEKA, Kansas — Scott Moore had never heard of the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck program before election officials in Kansas and Florida exposed his personal information, along with 944 other Kansas voters. The now-defunct Crosscheck was designed to help county clerks clean up registration lists by looking for voters who had moved to neighboring states. […]
Oct. 5 is the last day for Louisianians to register in person for November elections
Louisianians who plan to vote in next month’s presidential election must register by today in order to cast a ballot. Louisianians who prefer to register online have until Oct. 13 to do so. According to the Louisiana secretary of state’s website, residents who want to register in person can go to the registrar of voters […]
Bill reducing governor’s say on emergency election plans passes Louisiana Senate
The Louisiana Senate passed a bill Thursday that greatly reduces the say the governor has in approving an emergency election plan. The legislation passed the bill introduced by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, with a 22-12 vote. The vote follows a contentious battle over the current COVID-19 emergency election plan with Gov. John Bel Edwards on […]
Bill that would block governor’s ability to veto emergency election plan passes committee
A state senate committee on Wednesday advanced a bill that would eliminate the governor’s veto power on proposed emergency election plans. Senate Bill 20, introduced by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, would establish an “Emergency Election Commission” made up of eight legislators (at least two Republicans and two Democrats), the secretary of state, and the governor. Each […]
Senate bill seeks to reduce governor’s power on election plans
A bill filed Monday by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, seeks to remove the governor’s veto authority on any future emergency election plans approved by the Louisiana Legislature. Current state statute provides that the Secretary of State submits an emergency election plan to the Legislature. The Legislature then votes on it, and if it passes, the […]
By ordering a pandemic emergency election plan, federal judge does what Kyle Ardoin should have
Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin should have fought for Louisiana voters who demanded a way to cast their ballots in November and December without risking exposure to the novel coronavirus. Louisiana has been hit particularly hard by that virus and continues to lead the country in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita. […]
Federal judge: Ongoing pandemic means Louisiana must use emergency election plan for November, December elections
Voters who expressed concern that voting in person would put them or their loved ones at risk of getting sick with COVID-19 won a major court victory Wednesday when a federal judge in Baton Rouge ruled that a Republican-supported election plan denying such accommodations imposed an unconstitutional and “undue burden” on the right to vote. […]
Should Louisiana have a special election plan due to coronavirus?
A two-day hearing to decide if the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic warrants an emergency election plan in Louisiana concluded Wednesday after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick heard testimony from expert witnesses. Dick told the parties involved that she would issue her ruling “as quickly as humanly possible.” The case of Harding v. Edwards was brought […]
Emergency election plan courtroom fight begins with plaintiffs winning a battle
Louisiana voters who say they will be disenfranchised by the state’s absence of a pandemic-related emergency election plan will begin making their case to U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick this morning. But Dick, the chief judge of the federal court in Baton Rouge, issued a ruling yesterday that suggests she’s skeptical of the state’s argument […]
Federal judge sets Sept. 8 hearing regarding Louisiana’s election plans
Louisiana residents who have accused Gov. John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin of disregarding their safety by not creating an emergency election plan that will allow them to safely vote will have their day in federal court Sept. 8. Ardoin, a Republican, presented an emergency election plan last week that Republican-led […]
Veterans and rural residents have a greater dependence on the mail
Jan Stowe, a Vietnam War veteran from Traverse City, Mich., says she was unable to move her head and neck for several days last month after going without medication to treat extreme muscle spasms. Stowe, a Department of Veterans Affairs patient who receives her medication through the U.S. Postal Service, said in an interview with […]