Yesterday, a federal court issued its ruling concerning how we must operate our November and December elections in Louisiana. I wanted to explain what this court decision does and does not do:
Does NOT force mandatory, universal, or automatic vote-by-mail. Nobody in Louisiana will be required to vote by absentee ballot; anyone who chooses to do so can still vote in person during the early voting period or on Election Day.
Does NOT create no-excuse absentee voting. Those who vote absentee will still have to fill out the proper documentation and provide the appropriate identification. No voter will be allowed to vote by absentee ballot without an excuse, just like in other elections.
Does NOT force the state to adopt voting on Sundays.
Does NOT force us to adopt same-day voter registration. Had the judge granted everything the plaintiffs wanted, we would have been required to have thirteen days of early voting, which would have meant same-day voter registration during early voting.
Does NOT relax the stringent requirements we have for those vote by absentee ballot. Those who do vote by absentee ballot will still be required to have a witness signature on their ballot.
DOES adopt the early voting timeline I proposed in August: ten days of early voting with extended hours.
In fact, the judge only granted the plaintiffs one request from their extensive liberal wish-list: the adoption of the COVID-19 absentee ballot excuse form from July and August, utilized by less than one percent of all voters in those elections.
In the court hearing over the July and August, the judge stated that the emergency plan I crafted along with the Attorney General and approved by the legislature was why he wouldn’t grant the plaintiffs universal, no-excuse vote by mail. That same plan likely prevented this judge from forcing us to adopt what I have stood up against time and time again: automatic, no-excuse, universal vote-by-mail.
Furthermore, the Attorney General issued a ruling that clarified that those with higher risk health conditions would be able to vote through the disabled absentee voter program with a doctor’s note. Nearly 75% of COVID-19 absentee voters in July and August requested a ballot through the higher risk category; therefore, this ruling effects a very small number of voters.
While I am disappointed in this ruling, I believe the foresight shown by your Republican elected officials earlier in the year in adoption of our reasonable, temporary emergency plan prevented a massive expansion of vote-by-mail in Louisiana. In the coming days, we are likely to see lots of disinformation about our November and December elections. I’m asking that you help us prevent voter confusion by calling our office with your questions or to report any disinformation you come across.
Sincerely,
Kyle Ardoin
