Wanna bet that Jeff Landry will be re-elected governor in 2027? That’s not such a good idea, because it will now be against the law. Outlawing wagering on election outcomes is just one of several election-related bills passed by the legislature this past session. Joel Watson with the Secretary of State’s Office says another one assesses attorney’s fees and court costs for knowingly providing false information on a notice of candidacy.
“Currently, there is no penalty for somebody who puts false information down on their notice of candidacy. This would allow the courts to assess court costs and attorneys’ fees to try to prevent folks from knowingly putting false information down when they qualify for office,” Watson explained.
Watson says another bill on the governor’s desk calls for a procedural election audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor every four years.
“We want the legislative auditor to come in, do a deep dive into what we’re doing, make sure we’re doing everything right. Give us any suggestions they may have as to how we can make things even better in Louisiana, and, to give voters a confidence they need to ensure that we have good elections in the state,” Watson said.
Watson says another bill closes a loophole that currently allows foreign funding of election contests and ballot measures.
“The FEC has said that ballot contests such as constitutional amendments or propositions don’t really fit under their current ban of foreign interference, foreign funding and candidate races. And so, we wanted to close that loophole here in Louisiana,” Watson said.
Another bill that the legislature passed requires legislative approval of election-related consent decrees, so that groups cannot force changes to election procedures through lawsuits.
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