Louisiana Voter Suppression

Louisiana’s election system is structured in a way that too often allows for the manipulation of outcomes through low-turnout runoffs. I refer to these December runoffs as Louisiana’s “Get Right” elections — designed to *correct* the more diverse and representative results often seen in the high-turnout November elections. This practice not only disenfranchises voters but also distorts the democratic process by allowing a select few to dictate the outcome of elections.

Proposed Reforms:

  1. Limiting Election Calendar Manipulation: I strongly advocate for federal legislation that limits states’ ability to manipulate election calendars, particularly around federal elections. We need to ensure that election dates and procedures are designed to maximize voter participation, not suppress it.
  2. Making Election Day a Federal Holiday: To further boost voter turnout, I support making Election Day a federal holiday. This change would help remove barriers to voting, allowing more citizens to participate in our democracy without the constraints of work or other obligations.
  3. Recognizing Low-Turnout Runoffs as Voter Suppression: I propose that low-turnout runoffs be recognized as contemporary voter suppression tactics under the proposed John Lewis Voting Rights Act. By subjecting these runoffs to the Act’s preclearance mechanism, we can ensure that they are scrutinized for their potential to disenfranchise voters. This would help protect the integrity of our elections and ensure that the outcomes truly reflect the will of the people.

The current electoral system in Louisiana is deeply flawed and often works to suppress the voices of ordinary voters in favor of the powerful. By reforming these processes and recognizing the dangers of low-turnout runoffs as a form of voter suppression, we can create a more just and equitable electoral system.

Protecting Voting Rights

Protecting voting rights is fundamental to ensuring that every American can participate in our democracy. In Louisiana, where the history of racial discrimination and anti-democratic tactics has long targeted Black voters, the need for robust voting rights protections is particularly urgent. This is why I strongly support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which aims to restore and strengthen the protections of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Louisiana’s unique racial history, marked by decades of voter suppression, makes the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act essential. From literacy tests and poll taxes to gerrymandering and purges of voter rolls, Louisiana has been a battleground where Black citizens have fought tirelessly for their right to vote. Despite significant progress, recent efforts to suppress the vote—through restrictive voter ID laws, reduced polling locations, and limits on early voting—continue to threaten the democratic participation of communities of color.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would reinstate federal oversight in states like Louisiana, where discriminatory practices persist. This legislation is crucial to preventing the rollback of voting rights and ensuring that every citizen, regardless of race, has equal access to the ballot box.

Louisiana’s long history of voter suppression is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality. The passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act would not only honor the legacy of civil rights leaders like John Lewis but also protect the future of our democracy by safeguarding the rights of all Louisianans to participate in free and fair elections.

Prison Gerrymandering

Prison gerrymandering here in Louisiana – and across the country – distorts our democracy by inflating the political power of areas where prisons are located while disenfranchising the communities to which incarcerated people belong. I will advocate for federal legislation that mandates the counting of incarcerated individuals in their home districts for purposes of redistricting. This reform is essential to ensuring fair representation and the principle of “One Person, One Vote.”