Louisiana

Articles about voting issues in Louisiana.

Louisiana: Judge: Voter registration laws were violated | The Advertiser

Jan 28 2013

» The Voting News

A federal judge has ruled that Louisiana public assistance agencies have violated a law requiring them to provide voter registration forms to anyone who requests them, whether online, in person or by mail or phone. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo issued a permanent injuction Wednesday against the Louisiana’s Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Health and Hospitals and Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office. The injunction gives them until March 15 to implement policies and procedures that bring them into full compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

Louisiana: State removes names of inactive voters | The Advocate

Jan 25 2013

» The Voting News

State elections officials removed about 52,000 inactive voters from Louisiana’s voter rolls after November’s presidential election, according to new secretary of state office statistics. State Elections Commissioner Angie Rogers said election laws require the purge of voter registration rolls once every two years or so, to remove the names of people who have not voted in the past two federal elections or any state or local race during that time period. “They have never voted in any state or federal election,” Rogers said. “They are obviously not here or don’t want to vote.”

Louisiana: Fraud prevention scrutinized – security of voter forms questioned | The Advocate

Jan 18 2013

» The Voting News

Proposed legislation to guard against identity fraud in the voter registration process may need some further tightening, members of a state House panel said Wednesday. The legislation would make it a felony to copy or otherwise reproduce a completed voter registration application. The change would protect the confidentiality of such information as the individual’s full date of birth and Social Security number, which could be used for fraudulent purposes. Violators would be subject to a fine of up to $2,000 or up to two years in jail or both on a first offense. Penalties would increase on subsequent violations.

Louisiana: Rumble Because of the Jungle: How the “Jungle Primary” has Lead to a Vicious Same Party Battle for a Congressional Seat | State of Elections

Dec 28 2012

» The Voting News

In the contemporary era of American politics, Congressional races tend to be bitter partisan battles waged between one Republican and one Democratic candidate. Third parties operate peripherally, typically only able to bring up issues for the major party candidates to address or maybe steal votes away from one of the major partisan contenders. However, this has not been the case in the congressional race in district 3 of Louisiana. In district 3, a vicious battle between two Republican incumbents forced the opposing Democratic candidate into the role so often reserved for third party contenders.

Louisiana: Secretary of State expresses concern with New Jersey online voting | NOLA.com

Nov 6 2012

» The Voting News

Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler expressed concern Monday morning over New Jersey’s weekend announcement it would be allowing those displaced by Hurricane Sandy to vote online. ”Quite frankly, I don’t think we’re there yet,” Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler told press assembled in Baton Rouge this morning. Referring to New Jersey’s recent announcement the state will allow displaced citizens to vote by email or fax as “overseas voters,” Schedler added “I’m very concerned about the methodology.”

Louisiana: New, smaller districts create voting machine shortage in Louisiana | The Advertiser

Oct 5 2012

» The Voting News

When local governments developed new election districts after the 2010 Census, they drew so many small precincts that it forced the state to purchase additional voting machines and limit the number of machines at each precinct. Secretary of State Tom Schedler said Wednesday that local governments went overboard. ”We have precincts with one voter,” Schedler told a joint meeting of the House and Senate Governmental Affairs committees. “Several have three or four.” In Lincoln Parish, local officials increased the number of voting precincts from 42 to 102. “There’s no way the population doubled,” Schedler said. ”It’s just out of control,” said Sen. Mike Walsworth, R-West Monroe, reacting to Schedler’s report.

Louisiana: State readies emergency paper ballots | The Advocate

Oct 2 2012

» The Voting News

The state is preparing to use paper ballots on an emergency basis in the fall 2012 elections in which the presidential race is the top contest. It’s because of an explosion of split precincts in the wake of redrawing of election districts that resulted in 400 one-machine locations. State Elections Commissioner Angie Rogers said the paper ballot would be in play if the locations’ sole machine quits functioning. “This is a way to keep voting going until we can get the machine back up and running or another one delivered. It’s a temporary voting method so voting is not interrupted,” said Rogers.

Louisiana: State takes ‘middle-ground approach’ to voter identification | The Town Talk

Sep 13 2012

» The Voting News

Voters in Louisiana will show identification Nov. 6 to cast ballots for president and on local issues. And they’ll do it without the controversy kicked up by new voter ID requirements around the country. Republicans say new laws that require voters to show state-issued photo ID guard the election system’s integrity. Democrats say the requirements discourage low-income people and minorities from voting. ”Louisiana falls in the middle, and for right now, it does seem like a good, moderate approach,” said Ryan Teten, a Ph.D. in political science who teaches about campaigns and elections at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Louisiana: Secretary of State defends inactive-voter list | NOLA.com

Sep 11 2012

» The Voting News

Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler is disputing Democratic allegations that state residents are being stripped from voting rolls without adequate notice. He said the state, as required by state and federal law, checks voting rolls against other databases and puts people who have moved outside their parishes on an inactive list. The state sends two separate postcards to the address listed on the voting rolls, allowing a voter who was incorrectly made inactive to correct the record and return to active voting status, Schedler said. Voters can also correct the record by filling out an online form. Even if inactive voters don’t respond to the postcards and show up to vote on Election Day, they can still cast ballots by certifying they still live at their original addresses.

Louisiana: Official vote to be tallied in race for New Orleans City Council at large seat | wwltv.com

Apr 25 2012

» The Voting News

Tuesday morning marks a critical climax in the race for the Orleans Parish City Council at large seat. The voting machines will be opened and the results will be verified. What can often be a lackluster affair took on special significance when Stacy Head won by less than 300 votes in the unofficial tally Saturday night, and Cynthia Willard-Lewis refused to concede. The Orleans Parish voting machines are stored at 8870 Chef Menteur Hwy. They have been locked up there since the election wrapped up Saturday night. That election caused jaws to drop in political circles, as Head won by just 281 votes out of the 55,000 that were cast.