Louisiana House and Senate Committees, on Wednesday, Approved an Emergency Plan that Delays the State’s Presidential Primary until July 11th and Limits Efforts to Expand the use of Absentee Ballots because of the Coronavirus. The Plan, prepared by Secretary of State, Kyle Ardoin (R), Reduces the List of Reasons that he had Proposed last week for Voters to Qualify to Vote-by-Mail. Ardoin Shortened the List after the Republicans on the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee Rejected his Earlier Proposal in a Party-Line Vote.
Under the New Plan, Voters can still seek Absentee Ballots if they are at Higher Risk from the Virus because of Serious Medical Conditions or are Subject to a Medical Quarantine Order. People with Symptoms of COVID-19 or Caring for Someone subject to a Quarantine Order also may seek Absentee Ballots. The Rules also would Apply to State and Local Elections on August 15th. The Plan must still be Approved by the Full House and Senate and by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D).
No Changes have been considered for the Presidential and Congressional Elections in November 2020.
Ardoin’s Original Proposal also would have Extended the Early-Voting Period from Seven to 13 Days to Allow for Less Concentrated Groups of People gathering to Cast their Votes. It would have Lowered an Age Threshold for Requesting Absentee Ballots to 60 and Older from 65 and Older and allowed Anyone who was Worried about Health Risks to Vote Absentee. He Dropped those Provisions after Legislators Complained last week that Anyone could Claim they had Health Concerns and Qualify for an Absentee Ballot, potentially increasing the Risk of some Fraud.
Louisiana has a Ballot Tracking System in place for Absentee Ballots.
Catherine McKinney, an LSU Student who Started an Initiative to Advocate for more Mail-In Ballots, added that “in a vote-by-mail method, you have paper ballots and a paper trail that you don’t get in a typical voting method. Everything is the same, if not better.”
Louisiana was the First State to Adjust its Presidential Primary in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Primary was scheduled for April 4th, but postponed to June 20th, and again to July 11th.
“I Voted” Stickers were Provided for the First time in the History of the Secretary of State’s Office for the 2016 Presidential Election as a Special Election Turnout Initiative. Secretary Ardoin has Plans to Work with Louisiana Artists for Future Elections.
Ardoin’s Final Plan came after days of Debate and Discussion. He said that his Office has thought of Every Possibility to Ensure the Right to Vote in Both Elections. One of those Ideas was to Implement a Drive-Thru Voting method to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19, though that is Not being implemented now.
In his Closing Statement before the House Committee on Wednesday, Ardoin became Emotional as he Encouraged the Committee to Pass the Legislation.
“I have watched my colleagues work hours and hours and hours, plan after plan after plan, to deliver democracy to the people of Louisiana,” he said. “It takes true dedication to do that, because the pay is not great.”
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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