Louisiana’s guidelines for the fall election are appearing more likely to have to be settled in court after a House committee passes a plan Governor Edwards vows to reject.
Barry Ivey was the lone Republican to vote against the plan Wednesday in committee. He warns if the Governor and Legislature can’t agree it could lead to messy litigation.
“I don’t want to end handing this over to the court, I don’t want the Secretary of State and Registrar of Voters to be forced to deal with the aftermath of no plan. That’s what this plan is now,” says Ivey.
Under the plan submitted by the Secretary of State and approved 8-6 by House and Governmental Affairs, the only COVID-related reason for requesting an absentee ballot is if you test positive for the virus during early voting or before Election Day. Edwards says that makes no consideration for those susceptible to the virus, or those ordered to quarantine.
Ivey says instead of sending the issue to court the Legislature needs to cease advancing the Secretary of State’s plan and negotiate a deal with the Governor, or the end result is inevitable.
“The Governor has already said what he is going to do, I believe him he seemed pretty clear to me,” says Ivey.
Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s plan needs approval by the House, Senate, and Governor to be put into place.
Ardoin says his proposal probably isn’t the best plan, but it was the only one that could pass the Legislature. Ivey says it fails the basic legal requirement to provide a safe voting environment.
“Is it the Secretary of State’s job to try to come up with the best-contorted plan to pass muster? What muster? Political muster? Someone’s opinion? Is it our opinion or is it the law?” asked Ivey.
The issue will next be taken up Thursday in a Senate committee. There are only 76 days until the November 3rd Presidential Election.
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