Voting Access
Louisiana GOP lawmakers still hope to win gerrymandering appeal despite Supreme Court ruling
Louisiana’s Republican lawmakers believe they can still win their appeal in a federal congressional district gerrymandering lawsuit similar to one the state of Alabama lost Thursday in the U.S. Supreme Court. The court dropped an opinion Thursday in Allen v. Milligan that upholds a lower federal court decision that found congressional district maps Alabama’s legislature […]
Election conspiracy theory at root of proposed constitutional amendment
The Louisiana Legislature, with the help of House Democrats, approved a bill Thursday that gives steam to unsubstantiated election conspiracy theories accusing Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of trying to influence local election officials during the 2020 presidential race. Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed similar bills in the past, but this year’s proposal will bypass […]
Voter registration for formerly incarcerated could get streamlined in Louisiana
House lawmakers approved a bill Thursday that would make voter registration easier for formerly incarcerated people in Louisiana. House Bill 396, sponsored by state Rep. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport, cleared the House floor in a 63-34 bipartisan vote without debate. The bill would require the Louisiana Secretary of State to create an application form that formerly […]
Constitutional amendment plays on fears of foreign corruption in Louisiana elections
The Louisiana House approved a bill Wednesday that stems from conspiracy theories accusing Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of trying to influence local election officials. Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed similar bills in the past, but this year’s proposal will bypass his desk and go straight to voters with ballot language that plays on fears of […]
Clay Schexnayder announces bid for secretary of state
Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder announced Wednesday that he will run for secretary of state, an office that has become increasingly partisan in how it manages elections. Schexnayder, a Republican from Gonzales, is term-limited from holding his House seat. He said he would uphold and build upon Louisiana’s secure voting system, which has been the […]
Federal agencies lag in registering voters despite Biden executive order, advocates say
Within weeks of taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order — hailed by voter advocates as potentially transformative — that for the first time committed the U.S. government to registering new voters at federal agencies. But just over two years later, most of the 10 agencies examined in a recent report […]
Ardoin’s package of election bills includes twice-rejected proposals
Louisiana Republicans will try for the third year in a row to enact new election laws, including two that Gov. John Bel Edwards previously blocked. Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin previewed his legislative package for the 2023 regular session, which begins Monday. The bills would provide “election integrity” for Louisiana, according to Ardoin. House […]
Failed Cantrell recall effort could lead to changes in Louisiana law
The action-packed recall attempt against New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell failed in explosive fashion. The registrar of voters, who tossed out almost 60% of the signatures, noting some sheets were filled with cartoon names and many were reportedly copies. There have been plenty of recall attempts across the country that flamed out, but few have […]
Idaho college censors portions of art exhibit for discussing abortion
Artists whose work was scheduled to be displayed at Lewis-Clark State College for an exhibition called “Unconditional Care” say their First Amendment rights were violated after the college censored parts of the show related to abortion. The college, which is located in Lewiston, Idaho, and serves close to 4,000 students, cited Idaho’s No Public Funds […]
Trump ‘White House in waiting’ helped develop Ohio voting bill touted as model for states
A new bill announced by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to standardize and modernize state voting records is being welcomed by election administrators and some voter advocates, who say it could increase transparency and confidence in elections. But the first-of-its-kind legislation was developed with help from a think tank that is leading the charge […]
5th Circuit will hear decades-long case over Black seat on La. Supreme Court
A federal appeals panel will consider whether to dissolve the only Black seat on Louisiana’s highest court. The U.S. 5th Circuit in New Orleans will hear oral arguments next week in Chisom v. State of Louisiana, a decades old voting rights case that Black residents in New Orleans successfully litigated to gain their one and […]
Early voting task force calls on legislature to adequately fund elections
Members of a state panel studying ways to increase early voting turnout have settled on a basic solution to the issue — more money. Louisiana’s Task Force on Early Voting approved a measure Tuesday to recommend an expansion of early voting sites across the state and an increase in voter outreach efforts contingent on receiving […]