SECRETARY ARDOIN ISSUES STATEMENT ON NEW ORLEANS RECALL QUESTIONS

BATON ROUGE, La. — Today, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin issued the following statement on voter list maintenance in Louisiana:

“As Louisiana’s Secretary of State, I have always championed legislation to provide the tools needed to maintain accurate voter lists in each parish. Louisiana law places the responsibility of verification and maintenance of each parish’s voter registration list on the local Registrar of Voters. These tools include, but are not limited to, more accurate death records from the Louisiana Department of Health (HB 167 by Rep. Mike Johnson, 2021 Regular Session).

Despite the nonpartisan Louisiana Legislative Auditor recommending a second annual canvass, and the overwhelming support of the legislature in 2021 and 2022 (HB 138 and HB 35 by Rep. Les Farnum), Governor Edwards vetoed both of these bills. Although the Legislative Auditor confirmed in its 2022 report that our office follows the necessary procedures related to list maintenance, I believe a second annual canvass is vital to ensuring an accurate voter registration list and maintaining voter confidence. For this reason, I will support this legislation, as authored by Rep. Les Farnum, in the upcoming legislative session, and I call on Governor Edwards to sign it upon its passage.

Recall elections are an essential component of Louisiana’s democratic form of government. I fully and completely support and endorse the right of voters to seek a recall election.”

Click here to view or download the official press release.

Click here to view or download the facts on voter list maintenance in Louisiana.