BATON ROUGE, La. — Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has announced that Louisiana will suspend its participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), effective immediately. The announcement comes amid concerns raised by citizens, government watchdog organizations, and

media reports about potential questionable funding sources and that possibly partisan actors may have access to ERIC network data for political purposes, potentially undermining voter confidence. 

“When Louisiana joined ERIC under my predecessor, we did so under the impression that it would enhance the accuracy of our voter rolls and strengthen Louisiana’s election integrity. After reading  about these allegations and speaking with election attorneys and experts, I have determined that it may no longer be in Louisiana’s best interests to participate in this organization,” Secretary Ardoin said.“It is vital that any legitimate allegation of voter fraud or possible misuse of our voters’ personal information is investigated. My job is to ensure that the data voters entrust to my office is protected. I look forward to ERIC’s swift response to these allegations.”  

ERIC was founded in 2012 by seven states, including Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and the Pew Charitable Trusts. It has since grown to include 30 states and the  District of Columbia. Louisiana joined the organization in 2014. 

For more information, please contact our Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or [email protected].

Click HERE to read Secretary Ardoin’s letter to ERIC.

To download the official press release click HERE.

BATON ROUGE, La. —Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is pleased to announce that Louisiana was ranked in the top 10 states for election integrity by the Heritage Foundation. The 2021 Election Integrity Scorecard, which was released last week, ranks Louisiana seventh in the nation. Scores were calculated from 12 different categories, including voter ID implementation, absentee ballot management, vote counting practices, and verification of citizenship.

“Louisiana is among the nation’s leaders when it comes to election integrity due to our agency’s sound procedures and best practices, along with our team of dedicated civil servants who work incredibly hard to ensure our elections run smoothly,” Ardoin said. “While we are proud to be named in the top 10, our goal is perfection, so we will continue working to improve our system. Louisianians deserve the most secure, accurate, and transparent elections possible—we strive to make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat.”

Ardoin was recently designated as a Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA), the nation’s highest professional achievement for election officials. This distinction is earned through a multi-year course conducted by the Election Center’s Professional Education Program at Auburn University.

The Heritage Foundation Election Integrity Scorecard compares states’ election laws that affect election security and integrity.

Click HERE to download the press release.

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

BATON ROUGE, La. — Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is reminding everyone that Saturday, Dec. 11 is Election Day. Certain precincts in 35 parishes will have items on the ballot: Acadia, Allen, Assumption, Avoyelles, Ascension, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Catahoula, Concordia, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, Grant, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Orleans, Rapides, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vernon, Washington, and West Carroll.

In preparation for the election, Secretary Ardoin encourages voters to remember:

• Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
• Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.GeauxVote.com.
• Voters may also utilize the virtual voter assistant, GeauxBot, to access pertinent election information. GeauxBot is accessible by visiting voterportal.sos.la.gov or by selecting Elections and Voting on sos.la.gov.
• Voters can sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.
• Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card, a generally recognized picture identification card with name and signature such as a passport or a digital license via LA Wallet). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit but will be allowed to vote.
• Election results can be viewed in real-time via GeauxVote Mobile or at www.sos.la.gov. 

All absentee ballots must be returned to the Registrar’s office by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10. Voters are encouraged to check their polling location and sample ballot by logging into the online voter portal at www.voterportal.sos.la.gov, on the award-winning GeauxVote Mobile app, or by calling the Elections Division hotline at 800.883.2805.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, polling commissioners will be supplied with personal protective equipment and will regularly sanitize designated areas and voting machines between each voter. Hand sanitizer will be provided to voters and masks are recommended, although not required.

For more information, please contact our Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or [email protected].

To download this reminder click here.

Amite, La.— Tangipahoa Registrar of Voters Andi Matheu will meet with the Board of Election Supervisors to seal the early voting machines for the December 11, 2021 election on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, at 10:00 AM. The board meeting will be held in the Amite office located in the Courthouse at 110 N. Bay Street, Ste. 103, Amite, LA 70422. Early Voting for the December 11 election will begin on Saturday, November 27, and continue through Saturday, December 4, from 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM (excluding Sunday). For more information about elections and voting, contact the Registrar of Voters office by calling us, 985.748.3215, or sending us an email, [email protected] . You may also visit our website www.TangiVotes.com for most of your election and registration information.

To download this press release click HERE.