Louisiana voting issues

Election and registration information

 * ELECTION DAY VOTING HOURS: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Voter ID requirements
When you go to the polls to cast your vote in an election, be sure to take one of the following:


 * a driver's license,
 * a Louisiana Special ID, or
 * some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name, address, and signature.

Voters who have no picture ID may bring a utility bill, payroll check or government document that includes their name and address but they will have to sign an affidavit furnished by the Elections Division in order to vote.

2008 election
For the 2008 election Louisiana used the following voting machines. For a county-by-county list of the specific machines (and the source for this section) see Verified Voting's Verifier tool.

Assistive Devices for Marking Paper Ballots
 * AutoMARK Technical Systems AutoMARK VAT

Governmental election authorities
Secretary of State Jay Dardenne

Contact information:
 * Louisiana Secretary of State
 * P.O. Box 94125
 * Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125


 * 922-0900 or 800-883-2805 * FAX: 922-0945


 * email: [mailto:elections@sos.louisiana.gov elections@sos.louisiana.gov]

Election threats

 * November 4, 2008. Concerns about voter purges in Louisiana continue. The Louisiana State Democractic Party's attorney Randy Piedrahita testified before the state House and Governmental Affairs committee that Democrats are being disproportionately removed from voter rolls. The ratio of removal of Democrats ranged from 2 to 1 in some parishes to as high as 25 to 1; Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne denies that there is any organized effort to target Democratic registrations.
 * October 31, 2008. The League of Women Voters of Louisiana warned that some people who registered at state Department of Motor Vehicles offices were not added to the voter rolls. "Incidents have been reported that indicate this problem may be statewide (Orleans Parish to North Louisiana)," stated a press release from the group. Kay Hodges, the commissioner of the Office of Motor Vehicles, responded that the registration process, while not flawless, is reliable and automated. The local registrar of voters, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office and the head of the Office of Motor Vehicles all state that any problems that may exist are isolated.
 * October 30, 2008. 18,000 voters, mostly Democrats, were recently removed from the voter rolls in the weeks before the November election. According to a story in the The Advocate/WBRZ News, "In 2008, there have been 18,175 removals as a result of challenges and in 2007, there were 16,927. But in the year prior to that, there were 3,681 and in 2003 there were only 1,079."

State and local non-governmental election organizations
League of Women Voters

LWV of Louisiana, Mrs. Jean Armstrong, President
 * 728 North Blvd.
 * Baton Rouge, LA 70802-0000
 * Phone: 225-344-3326
 * Fax: 225-344-3326
 * E-mail: lwvla@cox.net
 * http://www.lwv-la.org

Local Leagues:
 * Baton Rouge
 * Caddo-Bossier
 * Lafayette
 * Lake Charles
 * New Orleans
 * Ruston-Grambling
 * St. Tammany

External resources

 * Just Vote '08's Louisiana Election Law Primer