Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry recently signed an executive order aimed at helping to further ensure non-citizens can’t vote in all state elections.
The order, signed August 26, says all state agencies that provide voter registration forms and assistance now also must include a notice that says noncitizens are not permitted to vote in Louisiana.
Landry’s order also requires the state Office of Motor Vehicles to share with Secretary of State Nancy Landry’s office the names of noncitizens and non-permanent residents of Louisiana — which is estimated to be more than 40,000 people — to ensure their names are not on the voter rolls.
"The right to vote in United States elections is a privilege that's reserved for American citizens," Gov. Landry said at a press conference announcing the order.
The order codifies a practice that already takes place. Nancy Landry said the state already uses data from the OMV and Social Security Administration to verify those who register to vote. The Secretary of State’s office then cross-references voter rolls and jury questionnaires that show citizenship status, she said.
In the past two years, 48 non-citizens have been removed from state voter rolls.
Other Republican-led states have taken similar steps in recent months.
And last week, the non-profit Americans for Citizen Voting officially launched its campaign in support of Kentucky’s proposed amendment to codify that only American citizens can vote in state elections.
Americans for Citizen Voting held a press conference September 12 on the steps of the Kentucky State Capitol in support of Amendment 1, which will be on the ballot in this fall’s general election.
If passed, Amendment 1 would amend the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to specify that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in local, state and federal elections. The amendment would align Kentucky with numerous other states that have taken similar steps to protect their elections and ensure that their citizens have full confidence in the electoral process.
Americans for Citizen Voting is working has kicked off the campaign in Kentucky and seven other states where similar measures on the ballot this fall. The other states are Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
Back in Louisiana, the Secretary of State’s office worked to pass 11 voting-related bills in this year’s legislative session that Nancy Landry labeled “election integrity.” One of those law requires proof of citizenship to register to vote starting January 1.
If a non-citizen violates the rules, they could face fines or prison time under state and federal law.
"If you are illegally registering to vote or helping someone to vote illegally, we will prosecute you," Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said recently.
Four of the newly passed voting laws have been challenged in federal court. They all relate to absentee ballots.
Even before the new laws and measures, Louisiana already scored high in terms of election integrity.
The Heritage Foundation ranked Louisiana as 10th for election integrity and No. 1 in the South for the 2020 presidential election.