NEW ORLEANS — In your Breakdown: there are more barriers at the ballot box in Louisiana this election.
Monday morning, Governor Jeff Landry signed an executive order that adds language to voter registration forms, reminding people that it's illegal to register to vote if you are not a United States citizen.
The order also instructs the Office of Motor Vehicles to share the names of noncitizens with Louisiana IDs, so they can be cross-checked with voter rolls. Less than 50 noncitizens have been removed from Louisiana voter rolls since 2022.
But elections have been under the spotlight in Landry’s administration. A new law passed this year means all third-party voter registration organizations must register before conducting a voter registration drive.
And absentee voting is now more restrictive. ACT 380 makes it illegal to send in more than one absentee ballot that is not yours or one of your immediate family members.
Another new law, ACT 302, prevents anyone but immediate family and registrar employees from helping more than one voter with an absentee ballot.
And thanks to ACT 321, it’s now easier for the state to ‘challenge’ absentee ballots. That means if there are missing details, they could choose not to count them.
Plenty of critics say these laws will majorly impact seniors and those with disabilities who can’t get to the polls. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says it shores up voter integrity.
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Louisiana.
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